To Catch the Wind
by Verse Gypsy
Summary: Part five of my series. Set two years after Invasion, Mustang and the rest of the team see new challenges and continue to keep building, both personally and professionally. A few cameos and nods to other DC related programming within. Lemons present.
1. Prologue

**AN: As suggested by my good friend and favorite author Illusorygentleman, I am finally posting this Dramatis Personae. 9 OC's probably demand a bit of explanation, though I hope most of this is a recap for you, not something you necessarily needed.**

 **Speaking of Illusorygentleman, I want to take a moment to point you in his direction. He and his partner in crime have just dropped a new horror-themed series of the citrusy variety. I know we share a few readers, but again, if you haven't read his work, pop over and take a look. He's way better at this than I am, and tell him the Gypsy sent you.**

 **Onto this particular part, I'll ask again at the end of the story itself, but if I could get my readers to do me a favor please. Could you drop the names of your most and least favorite OC's in the review box, or as part of one? (I love reviews and communicating with my readers.)**

 **As always, if there's a registered trademark, rest assured I don't own it and I'm not making any money by using it.**

* * *

 **The OG Movers -**

Marshall Deacon "Deke" O'Connelly – Mustang:  
If there's a hero to our story, it's this southern fried sap dividing his time between his home life, hero life, and med school. Full bore metagene psychic, meaning telepathic, telekinetic, and psychometabolic abilities, he's who you've been reading about thus far.

Kristoff "Kris" Hausmann – Fractal:  
The Transgender Technopath (but don't call him that to his face unless you really know him) and genius leader of the Movers. In addition to controlling technology with his mind, he commands an army of nanomachines to remake his environment as he sees fit.

Liho Kamekona – Koa:  
Native Hawaiian turned Atlantean Biotech cyborg, and guardsman to Queen Mera. He might look like a giant pile of muscles, native tattoos, and silly grins, but really, he's actually a giant pile of muscles, native tattoos, and silly grins. Powerful and unstoppable in war and friendship, he's someone you want to cover your back.

Aasha Kathryn Nagra – Daeva:  
Tiny sorceress, British by way of India, and currently working on her American citizenship, she commands the winds and fires and all of the natural world. While not completely immune to a sour mood, it's more common to see her joyously happy and willing to encourage others to greatness. Just don't call her cute.

Madeline Blanchette "Maddie" Endicott – Godiva/Lady G ( _if you're nasty_ ):  
A woman of remarkable beauty, and more remarkable ability to damage the environment. She's a fast woman in more ways than one, but she's also exceptionally strong and difficult to harm. To reveal her origin here would spoil what you're about to read, so let it suffice to say you do not want on her bad side.

 **The New Blood –**

Duchess Pacifica of House Atua – Pacifica  
A graduate of the Conservatory of Sorcery, and (very) distant cousin to Queen Mera of Atlantis, Pacifica is a powerful sorceress as well. Still learning about the surface world, but willing to put her life on the line for it, she channels incredible magic through her willowy frame with ease. She might seem naïve, but it'd be foolishly dangerous to assume it.

Ingrid Gunnarsdottir Magnus – Shield Maiden:  
The daughter of a notable archaeologist, she knows the ancient world perhaps better than anyone else associated with the Justice League (Except Hawkwoman, who lived it, so she gets a pass). She possesses a shield which links her mind and soul to the Valkyries, giving her remarkable combat prowess, durability, and a skill with languages.

Scramble:  
Perhaps the most private member of the Movers, nothing is known about the deaf Speedster known as Scramble, except he can directly tap the Speed Force. Yeah, he's pretty fast.

William Itaru "Will" Tanaka – Fujin:  
Another active Meta, Will is an experienced and well-practiced thief and con man. He's done his time and he's looking for a fresh start. With the ability to shape and mold shadow, as well as perfect nightvision, his metagene might not have given him much, but that's never stopped the good-looking and rakishly charming man before.


	2. Chapter 1

March 1st  
Destin, Florida  
1434 CST

He loved the quiet times when there was nobody else around to make noise, or ask questions, or make a mess of things. Sure, Kristof loved his second family, dearly in fact, but they weren't exactly quiet people. It's a shame this wasn't a quiet time.

"No no no!" He called out at the contractors doing the basic structural work on the Hacienda, waving his hands to catch their attention. "The junction for the service box must be at least twelve feet from the door!" he called out, his accent slipping in his annoyance.

"Why?" the electrician's employee called out, the man nearly the color of new brick from his time in the sun. "That ain't in the plans."

"Don't tell me you don't know basic safety." Kristof said, fuming. "In the event of tropical weather, the service box has to be far enough away from any exit to ensure a safe egress." He scowled as he explained. "Move the junction."

"I'll have to call my boss." The laborer began, digging into his tool belt for his phone.

"How about you call the general contractor instead?" Kristof said, glaring daggers. He watched as the employee shrugged, pulled up his contacts, chose the correct one, and hit send.

Without skipping a beat, Kristof pulled his own ringing phone from his pocket and showed the screen to the electrician's assistant. "Oh, look there. I suppose I'm the general contractor." He said, fists clenched. "Now, was it your boss, or you, who showed enough negligence to ignore the new plans that were emailed last night?"

"It had to be my boss." The assistant said, dodging the issue. "I never received the new plans."

"Of course it was your boss." Kristof said with a sneer. "I'll be contacting them now." He added, and walked off, heading back into the Hacienda. Over the past few days, the team had banded together to help one another move things into storage, as well as secure their home. It wasn't just the Movers either. Superboy and Miss Martian had stopped by to help move things two days ago, and yesterday Nightwing, Impulse, and Blue Beetle had popped in to help obfuscate the Zeta system.

Since Kristof was tagged as the general contractor, using some subterfuge the League had cooked up, he was able to make sure what needed to be secret, remained that way. It also meant, however, he was living in the Hacienda during the expansion and remodel, so the noise was relatively constant.

He knew two members of the League were extremely wealthy, though he hadn't realized exactly how wealthy until the choices in plans arrived. All of their options had required the use of the properties to either side of them, and since they were both bay front properties as well, the expense would be considerable.

But, the League had offered, so the five of them had sat down and argued, fought, compromised, swore, and cried until they agreed on the current course of action. In honestly, the small scale model Kristof had made showed remarkable promise. The warehouse-sized structure was getting a new roof and an expansion, in order to make room for more people. It also allowed for small individual bathrooms in each bedroom, and more space in those rooms. In addition to that, a small, respectable infirmary that would see a solid uptick in stocking once Mustang completed Medical School.

The warehouse wasn't the only expansion either. What used to be a respectable garage on the other side of the parking lot was about to become much more, including a retractable roof for their helicopter. It would be attached to a completely independent workshop; something Kristof had discovered was for more than just super heroing about. Part of the arrangement to expand the place had been to begin collecting meteorological and tidal data, so that the whole location could be zoned as a science lab and receive less scrutiny as to the types of equipment being brought it.

"So, your employee," Kristof said, after dialing the electrical engineer that they didn't really need. "Oh, he's called you already? Then you understand the situation?"

Kristof nodded as the engineer spoke. "Very well, thank you. There can be no errors here, due to the amount of delicate equipment being delivered very soon."

He strolled around, looking at his model from another angle, desperately trying not to be so fussy about things. "No, computer equipment and precision fabrication. You do? That would be excellent, yes please."

"Okay, thank you, and I will speak to you soon. Goodbye." He said after another moment, and slipped his phone back into his pocket after ending the call. The electrician had offered to set up additional redundancies to apologize for his employee, which meant better, and more wiring that Kristof would have to play with later.

Before heading back out, he grabbed his tablet and began looking through the interior plans on the living space. More seating and a larger kitchen was of the utmost importance, so they were getting an almost restaurant type setup, with several burners and ovens, instead of the large in-home style they'd been working with. Since Mustang and Koa were so pleased to feed everyone, he imagined they'd be extremely excited.

They were keeping the massive television, since it doubled for communications and research purposes; it was currently covered with a reinforced drop cloth to protect it while the interior would see more work. To match their outside environment, the floors were going to be tiled in a sun-bleached white and emerald green tile, though the living space proper would get carpeting, while the walls would get the same white, though Aasha had already donated several paintings to keep the walls from being too stark.

Yes, the place was coming along quite well. It would certainly serve as a second home, or, for some, their only home. Maddie would remain a permanent resident, as would their new members Fujin and Shield Maiden. Since Captain Atom had some budgetary concerns, it left Kristof wondering how best to keep them all fed.

The idea struck him, and he seized control of the dormant microscopic machines which made up the scale model. Picking up a piece of the foam board resting against the table, he set it on the roof of the building, giving the tiny machines some building material. In just a couple of minutes, they'd shaped the foam, and, according to his whims, built a rooftop garden. On a whim, he added a small outdoor kitchen setup as well. Now, with a bare minimum of effort, they could grow some vegetables to supplement their grocery bill. When Liho was available, he enjoyed going spear fishing as well. It meant they could save considerable funds when everyone was in.

"Sehr gut." He said, with a proud look at his work. Problem solved. Well, one problem solved. There were plenty more, though not with construction or finances. Maddie and Pacifica still hadn't been around one another for more than a few moments, and once Mustang had pointed out _that_ particular situation, Kristof had agreed it was a ticking time bomb.

The best he could do was try to pre-assign living quarters, but the moment he tried, he knew that there was going to be argument. Sighing, he decided that hurdle would be best jumped later. Maybe, just maybe, he would get lucky and it would blow over easily. Not that such things ever really did.

Kristof was about to walk back outside and see how things were progressing when his stomach began rumbling. Grumbling, he dug his phone back out, and ordered a pizza, since he had no kitchen with which to prepare a meal here.

At least, though, it wasn't Central City. He loved his hometown, considering it that over Dresden, where he'd grown up as a child. The problem came in that, well, his mother was there. He loved her, dearly, but she didn't exactly understand or approve of his choice to live his life the way he wanted.

It wasn't always that way though. It took her hysterectomy after suffering ovarian cancer to get flaky about the whole thing. She used to be supportive, but when she lost her ability to have more children, it had gotten her onto Kris' case to just be a girl and have a baby. His father was of little use in the issue too. While he'd been a badass leader to his men, he couldn't really find the nerve to speak up to his wife.

Kristof sat in the huge empty space where the team used to spend their time together, the emptiness weighing on him. None of them had spoken a single word of judgment when they'd learned how he'd been born, instead accepting him unconditionally on his merits.

He'd be glad when the place was finished, or, at least the outside, so he could just cut his nanoswarm loose and get the rest finished in a couple of hours. It was too quiet.

March 1st  
Gotham City  
2325 EST

Deke stumbled into his apartment, quite possibly more exhausted than he'd ever been in his life. The entire week was filled with nothing but work at every turn, between the clinic, doing some shifts at Gotham Metro as well, and of course, schoolwork. He'd asked to get his assignments early, so he could knock them out and not have to worry about them on the weekend, so his workload had almost doubled.

When combined with doing some patrols in Gotham to try and make sure he and Barbara wouldn't be missed, picking up a shift at the Mercado auction to make some extra money, and having to show up to Dr. Thompkin's clinic to try and cover for a sick nurse, it left him feeling like he'd been run over.

He reached out with his sixth sense, and couldn't feel his Babs in the apartment. She'd texted an hour ago saying she was going to do one last patrol, but he wasn't sure how long she'd be out. This gave him a little bit of time, at least.

Hanging his stethoscope up next to his jacket, he tossed his scrubs into the laundry, and walked naked through the apartment to the bathroom, rubbing his eyes and trying to stay awake. When he got into the bathroom, he turned the water heater on, and checked himself out in the mirror.

Still heavily muscled, he'd remain that way as long as he used his powers often enough. Since they relied on the electrical signals that made his muscles operate, he was effectively always working out, which allowed him to keep his body fat percentage down to single digits, regardless of how he ate. Of course, for the past year or so, he'd been eating a lot better, more for Barbara's sake and peace of mind than his own.

He _was_ developing a jungle around his equipment though, so, he stood over the small trash can and used his powers to cut the hair around his tool shorter. If nothing else, this particular method of grooming had certainly trained him for fine motor tasks, since there was absolutely no margin for error. This was something he did for Barbara, who was kind enough to put her mouth on his junk on a pretty regular basis, and didn't need a mouthful of man pubes as a thank you for it.

His head hair, a long mane of dishwater blonde hair, hadn't seen more than a trim in a very long time. Again, Barbara crossed his mind where it was concerned. She loved his hair as much as he loved hers, and he loved her fiery hair an awful lot. When the time came for them to become parents, the first thing he knew was, their kids would have some amazing hair.

He ran a brush through that hair of his; taking a few tangles out before he washed it, to make life easier later. He set the hair brush down and was about to turn the water on, when he heard a noise. Stretching his senses out again, Deke felt Barbara's mind, and pushed a picture of him, looking at the mirror, into her thoughts.

A couple of minutes later, the door opened, and Barbara, just as naked, slipped in. "Hello Cowboy." She purred, slipping behind him and resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad your home."

"Same here." He said, turning around to pull her into a proper hug. "I thought you were patrolling though."

She nuzzled into his chest before looking up at him. "Yeah, about that. Turns out, Falcone doesn't pay his men enough to, and I quote 'get our asses handed to us by the Bat-skirt.' So, tonight was a whole lot easier than I thought it'd be."

"They actually called you a skirt?" Deke asked, surprised by the use of language. Granted, there were a lot worse things they could call her, and Babs had indeed been called some pretty ugly things. Keezy femme came to mind there.

Barbara giggled and nuzzled her boy again. "Yep, Bat-skirt, Bat-broad, Bat-bitch, you name it, they've put bat in front of it and said it to me. Penguin called me Bat-cunt once actually, before you and I met. That's the only one I've ever taken personally." She explained thoughtfully.

"I called you Bat-babe that one time." Deke said, giving her a grand gesture to hop into the shower with him.

"And you're one of maybe three people that can get away with calling me that, so feel privileged." Barbara explained, shaking her bottom at him as she stepped into the shower, the muscles in her long legs ripping in the movement. Unlike her boy, she worked hard to maintain her physique, but it showed, and for those _very_ few lucky enough to see it, it never failed to impress.

"Damn you're sexy." Deke muttered, stepping in behind her and pulling the curtain closed.

"Thank you." She said sweetly, color rising in her cheeks. She was a beanpole all the way to her junior year in high school, believing she'd never fill out, and she was teased mercilessly. Her boy, on the other hand, was significantly overweight throughout school, and received similar treatment. She would probably blush at his compliments until the end of her days, and she had a feeling he'd do the same.

"You're welcome." He said, planting a kiss on the top of her head. His hands slipped from her shoulders down her chest, causing her to hum pleasantly and lean into his touch. She was by no means deprived of his touch lately, but she wasn't about to say no either.

When he stopped at her nipples, and the new ornaments she was sporting in them, she glanced down and watched him play with them gently. "How are you liking them now that they've been in a few days?" he asked, just toying with the black captive bead rings.

"I didn't think it through, if I'm being honest here. I got excited by the idea and had a moment of not using my thinking brain. I like them fine though, don't get me wrong, but I've been walking around with my headlights constantly on." Barbara said, bending over to grab her shampoo and conditioner, making sure to give her bottom an extra wiggle. "It's been padded bras since I got them done, but I like how I look, so I guess it balances out."

He definitely noticed her wiggling, though he was so tired he wasn't certain his body realized how it should be behaving. If nothing else, he could take care of her after their shower; that was plenty of fun. "I know you like them." She added, turning around to get her hair wet, which had the added benefit of showing them off when she arched her back to get all of her hair.

"I do." Deke said, trailing his fingers across her breasts and up to her head. "I also like washing your hair, so, y'know, you should let me."

"Oh, I'd planned on it." She replied, letting her head rest in his hands. "So, are you packed and ready for the weekend?" she asked, excited to see Hawaii without having to be in her costume to do it. Not that she wasn't bringing it; that was just foolish talk.

"I am, actually." Deke said triumphantly. Packing was not a strong suit of his, remembering to even do it was similarly not something he was good at.

"Will wonders never cease?" she asked, showing him the tip of her tongue. "How'd you do at the Mercado?"

It was a reasonable question to ask. She'd put the rest of the money she'd gotten for her most recent article towards bills and groceries, to add to the stipend the Thomas Wayne scholarship offered. Whatever he pulled in at the Mercado was pretty much all they were going to have.

"Six hundred, but I'm worried the place is about to get shut down. Mister Ruiz was talking to some Grade A heavies when I showed up, and neither of them had polite conversation on their minds. I'd probably do something about it, but I don't know if letting the place stay open is the right idea either. I mean, the Bat hasn't done anything about it yet, but, it's kind of a gray area." Deke said, shampooing his love's gorgeous hair.

"Bruce lets it keep operating because it's a good place to get information on a lot of things. If you know art, and history, it's easy to see where things are going down in Central and South America. When we get back, make that a priority. You've lived in Gotham long enough that she's showing you what she needs." Barbara replied, her eyes closed and her voice dreamlike.

"You make it sound like Gotham's a demanding wife." Deke said, scratching and massaging her scalp as he scrubbed.

"She is. But she knows how to take care of what's hers too." Barbara replied with a familiar look in her eyes. "I like to think I'm less demanding, but Gotham showed me how to treat what's mine too."

She placed a hand on his chest, letting it slide up to his shoulder, where her nails dug in just the slightest bit. Maybe, just maybe, Deke wasn't as tired as he thought.


	3. Chapter 2

March 2nd  
Honolulu, Hawaii  
0745 HAST

Liho was sitting on a bench, relaxing in the sun. The forgotten open air shopping center he was occupying, well away from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu, was filled with abandoned shops and graffiti, but it had a great eastern view, giving him a chance to soak up the morning sunshine.

"Your friends are coming soon, aren't they?" Pacifica asked, sitting next to him. Dressed like a surfacer in a loose linen shirt and cutoff shorts, with a colorful, wispy neckerchief covering her gills, she'd arrived the night before to spend some time with the man she hoped to wed.

"Oh yeah. If I know my brother, he waitin' till he hungry till they leave, since I remind him it's breakfast time here." Liho replied, sitting up and tentatively touching her hand. She gave him a shy look and accepted his massive paw, wrapping her fingers in with his.

"That's wonderful news, as I too am hungry." Pacifica said, turning more fully into the sun with Liho. "I have grown quite fond of some surface food, will we be having any of it?"

"Mustang the mind reader wahini, what kinda food you want?" Liho said with a wink.

"I have grown to love pancakes," Pacifica admitted. "And I have been told that my love of undercooked cattle is remarkable."

"Yeah, I think we can maybe eat that stuff today. I was gonna do some cookin' this evening, we could grill on the beach or something." Liho replied, looking at the beautiful Atlantean. She could easily be a model, with her height, lean build, and remarkable bearing and posture.

"You are staring at me Liho. Do I have something on my face?" Pacifica asked, wiping at the tip of her nose with a puzzled look.

"Yeah, whole lotta pretty." Liho replied bashfully. He didn't flirt well, mostly just giving awkward compliments and hoping. It hadn't much worked in the past, leaving him looking confused and dumb more than charming, but when Pacifica smiled at him and gave him a quick kiss on his forehead, he realized she understood him.

It was nice, not being used. Maddie had one thing in mind, and while she was incredible company in the sack, the still waters that were Liho ran quite deep. He'd meant it when he said it was a big deal that Pacifica cared enough to ask him about his day and his life and all the things that came with that. In fact, her desire to slow things way down wasn't a disappointment, it was, in fact, comforting. She wasn't looking for a willing cock, she was looking for a willing companion.

"Your words are kind Liho, and I thank you for them. Perhaps, once your friends leave, you and I might find some time to ourselves before I must return to Atlantis? I have much to prepare for, before I return for schooling this fall." She said hopefully.

"You know it. I think they leavin' Sunday evenin', give us plenty of time before you gotta go under the waves." Liho said thoughtfully. A noise alerted him, so he looked to the side, where a yellow flash beneath the door of an abandoned shop told him their guests had arrived.

It was best that the Honolulu Zeta stop was in a boarded up building, since it was bitter cold in Gotham at the moment, and Deke and Barbara had to show up to Hawaii in heavy coats and sweaters. "This is insane." He muttered, the oppressive heat and humidity in the closed off building hitting him like a ton of bricks.

"You're not wrong." Barbara replied, already ditching her clothing, barely stopping to see how much privacy she actually had. Sweat had beaded up on her face immediately upon materializing here, and that just wouldn't do.

"Damn girl." Deke muttered, also undressing quickly. Barbara had quite literally tossed her coat and shirt, and was busy slipping out of her jeans, her black lace and purple satin thong all but in his face. "You lookin' to get some lovin' tonight?"

"Yes I am." She said, standing straight up and turning around to face her boy, her oceanic eyes bright. "Since somebody was too tired last night, I want to make up for that very kind tongue of yours tonight."

"I'll let you." Deke said with a wink, and handed her the duffel she loved.

While she dressed, she watched her boy pulling on the tank top Liho had given him for his birthday last year, giggling at the print, but also distracted by the way his arms moved up and around his head, showing off his, wait, stop. Liho was waiting out there; taking her boy to the floor now was just rude.

But she really _really_ wanted to. With her off week on her birth control coming up in a couple of weeks, her hormones were beginning to go into overdrive. The effect was nothing new, but it was an annoyance when their friend, really a family member, was waiting patiently on them outside; especially since his hearing was enhanced, and being quiet in bed (or the floor, whatever) was not one of Barbara's strong suits.

Finally dressed in a camisole, short (but not too short) skirt, and one of Deke's button downs, Barbara finished the ensemble with her wide brimmed black sun hat and sunglasses. One last time, she fought down her wish to grab her lover, and love him right. "Later Gordon." She muttered to herself.

"You say somethin' babe?" Deke asked, swapping his boots for sandals and ready to face Hawaii, his tank top proudly proclaiming "Suns out, guns out."

"Nothing important Cowboy." Barbara said, shouldering her bag and slipping her hand into his. He gave her hand a squeeze and the two of them exited the abandoned gift shop. Outside, Barbara was surprised to see Pacifica sitting with Liho. Her presence complicated things a bit, and she hadn't planned on it, though, in retrospect, she really should have.

"Hey Brah! Hey Sistah!" Liho all but yelled at them, jumping up and bull rushing them for hugs. For a powerful, biotechnologically enhanced Atlantean soldier, the man gave the absolute best hug. It was a trait he was proud of, maybe more so than his skill at the Hawaiian martial art of Lua, of which he could probably be considered a legitimate master.

"Hello Liho!" Barbara said as she was lifted into the air in a huge hug. She planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, quickly checking Pacifica's demeanor in her peripheral vision to make sure that wasn't going to cause a problem. When her expression never changed from the pleasant look she wore, it answered Barbara's question to the positive.

"Thanks for havin' us bro." Deke said, pulling the man in for a bro hug, the sheer amount of muscle between them threatening to overload the world.

"Hey, ain't not a thing brah. So, what you wanna do first?" Liho asked, glancing off to the side. Pacifica had stood up and walked over towards them, joining her intended.

"Food." Barbara said plainly. " _Somebody_ suggested we skip lunch so we could join you for breakfast here. I'm apparently marrying a hobbit."

"Second breakfast all day babe." Deke said. She poked him in the ribs for his trouble, but leaned happily into him. "So yeah, we hungry brosef."

"Then let's go. I know a place, they do these killer banana and pineapple pancakes with a coconut syrup." Liho suggested, in truly high spirits. He loved his home, and he'd be remiss if he didn't share it with the people he loved.

The four of them strolled out of the long forgotten shopping area, currently under the complete ownership of Queen Consolidated. None of them knew it, but by this time next year, the whole place was going to be bustling, and that Zeta stop would be part of a private office setup, allowing more unfettered and secure access, while not wasting city space.

"May we talk?" Pacifica asked, tapping Barbara on the shoulder. She looked up at the much taller woman and began slowing her pace to get some privacy.

"I would like to ask your advice, if I may. I'm afraid I don't understand surface relationships well enough." Pacifica said, and the expression on her face well illustrated her frustration at the fact. "I believe I am merely ornamental, by my own inactivity, and I do not care for it at all."

"So, you want to be more active in what you and Liho are doing? I can't blame you in the slightest for it, but I don't know how much help I can be." Barbara said honestly. She understood that Pacifica was Atlantean nobility, and smart enough to handle the Conservatory of Sorcery, but she was, pun intended, a fish out of water as far as the surface was concerned.

"I would like to know how best to become more involved. I speak to him, and enjoy doing so, but I will not simply stand by. How is it done on the surface?" Pacifica asked, not sure if her English was good enough to explain what she wanted to say.

"Well, I just drag mine around everywhere I want to go to spend time with him and see what happens. He's pretty flexible though, so your mileage might vary with Liho. Try showing him what you like and see how he reacts." Barbara said, remembering the day she'd taken Deke to an art gallery to see a painter's work. She'd expected him to just walk through, look at the pictures, and be ready to leave, but he'd surprised her by trying to ask questions. It was obviously not his thing, but love his heart, he'd tried at least.

"So, the surface differs little from Atlantis in this regard. This is pleasing to learn. Do surface women enjoy football?" Pacifica asked, remembering a conversation she'd had with Liho the other day.

"I love it personally, but I know several who wouldn't know a quarterback from a receiver. Surface women are just as unique as Atlantean women I'd guess." Barbara said. "Did Liho want to take you to a game?"

"Not exactly. I'll be attending Gotham University starting this fall, and I wanted to take him to one of the games. I understand showing loyalty to one's school is extremely important, and sharing that seemed an excellent bonding experience." Pacifica said thoughtfully.

"Oh, yeah, in that case, do that. It sounds more like something you're doing for him though. What would you do for you?" Barbara asked, knowing the girl had to have an independent streak in her somewhere. She had that look.

Pacifica thought about that one for a minute. "When in Atlantis, I seem to be the one who recommends our activities. I don't know what I would like on the surface."

Okay, that helped a little. "You still need to explore the surface, I get you. Maybe try music first, concerts can be a lot of fun with the right band, and there's a lot of music out there. Maybe getting him to introduce you to his favorite music might help you narrow down your own tastes in surface bands. I can show you some stuff I like as well, and I know my boy can too. At the very worst, you'll know what you don't like." Barbara offered with a small shrug.

"Did you and your betrothed do this activity? And, may I ask why you are smiling like that?" Pacifica asked, puzzled as to why the girl had gotten such an entertained and pleasant look on her face all of a sudden.

"My betrothed." Barbara said with a giggle. "I like that, it's much classier. And to answer your question, yes we did. Mine's a musician, he played for me. Liho's got a wonderful singing voice as well, if he hasn't demonstrated already."

"This is encouraging." Pacifica said. "And no, he has not. How might I get to find this out?"

"I'd recommend suggesting karaoke then. If Liho doesn't have plans for this evening, maybe we could all go, unless you'd prefer to make that something between the two of you." Barbara said after a short moment's pondering. She hadn't done karaoke in over a year, and really enjoyed it, despite not having the best singing voice. She had a couple of standbys, but the fun wasn't in wowing a crowd as much as just getting to let go of stress and potentially embarrass herself for a laugh.

"I would enjoy that. I believe that would be an excellent group activity. I would like to get to know Mustang better as well, since we are to begin working together soon. All I know thus far is that he enjoys bizarre food." Pacifica said as the two women walked along the streets of Honolulu

"That's a word for it." Barbara said with an odd look. She'd resigned herself to having baloney in the house at any given moment. Her dad was the same way, and how either of those men could tolerate it was beyond her. "We should probably catch up to them. They can get like children if you're not watching them well enough, and we don't want them wandering into traffic."

"Hey, we know to look both ways!" Liho called out, his enhanced hearing picking up their entire conversation. He'd tried hard to ignore it, instead focusing on arguing with Deke as to which Harry Potter movie was better. He was obsessed with Goblet of Fire, but Half-Blood Prince was clearly better.

Pacifica turned red at his statement, looking embarrassed. Barbara noticed it, and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, causing her to pause. They let their men wander off further, trying to clear Liho's hearing range, before Barbara spoke again.

"Are you okay? You look positively mortified right now." She observed, worried as to why that had spooked Pacifica so badly. She knew it had nothing to do with Liho, he was far too loving and kind to take legitimate offense to her questions. If he had a problem, he would have spoken up immediately, but respectfully, that's just how he operated.

"I've embarrassed myself. I shouldn't need to ask another for advice." Pacifica said with a sigh, the _noblesse oblige_ currently doing an excellent job of kicking her tail.

"Oh hell with that." Barbara said. "You can't live your whole life without needing help somewhere or another. It's a hard lesson to learn, but it's the truth. If I tell you something, will you please not repeat it?"

"You have my word as a duchess, and a friend." Pacifica said.

"I'm satisfied with friend, but I'll take both." Barbara said gently. "A year or so ago, I was on patrol. I encountered what I thought was a simple street gang out stealing cars, so, I did what I do best in that situation. It turned out, though, that these thieves were hopped up on Venom, meaning each and every one of them could take a hit as well as Liho, and return one just as hard too. I got tangled up, nearly got myself killed. If I hadn't hit the emergency alert, I wouldn't be here right now. "

"Life isn't always easy, but if you're never willing to look for help, it can get harder quick. There's no shame in it, and besides, I love Liho to death, I want him to be happy. You seem like a sweetheart too, I think he deserves that kind of care and respect." Barbara said honestly.

"I was informed correctly. You are both intelligent and wise. Thank you, uh, er, drown it! What shall I call you?" Pacifica said, frustrated she had no name to use for the redheaded woman who'd so easily shared her knowledge.

"Beegee for now, if you please. I know the Movers got onto a first name basis their first day, but I work with Batman, who places a lot more importance on identity. There are members of the League who still don't know the real names of myself, Nightwing, or Red Robin." Barbara said.

"Liho refers to you by sibling nomenclature. Your name is safe." Pacifica said, feeling a whole lot better about things. "I hope that, one day, we will be as close."

Barbara blushed, color rising quickly to her cheeks. "I'd like that." She said, and motioned for the two of them to speed back up. She wasn't at all joking about Liho and Deke wandering into traffic. She'd seen them do it. More than once.


	4. Chapter 3

March 2nd  
The Watchtower  
1930 Zulu

"After Darkseid's nearly successful invasion of Earth, we all agree that previous concerns for the escalation of our enemies as response to an increase in membership to the League no longer outweighs our need for additional help?" Wonder Woman asked to the assembled members of the Justice League, all of them sitting in the large conference room.

Several members offered agreement, so she continued. "So, now, we have to seriously consider new candidates. Let's begin with the most efficient proposition. The entirety of the Team, in toto. They already operate from the Watchtower, so security protocols wouldn't have to be altered, and of all of our prospects, they have the most experience."

Batman, attending remotely from the Batcave, spoke up. "The entire team has a broad gap of experience. Accepting them all isn't a wise choice, but there are several worth considering. I vote nay on an in toto approach."

"I agree with Batman." Black Canary said. "I've helped train several of them. Some aren't just ready yet."

"So, proposals then?" Aquaman asked. "I'll begin with Kaldur'ahm. He's proven more than capable, time and again."

"Seconded." Batman said plainly. His respect for Aquaman's protégé was immense, though he'd never say it out loud.

"Any opposed?" Wonder Woman asked, sharing the same opinion of the Atlantean hero that most everyone in the League had. When there wasn't a single voice of protest, she flicked a button on his profile. His, and the rest of the young team, were displayed across the room, giving the League a better opportunity to see what was going on.

"We agree on Aqualad then. Moving on, Miss Martian?" Superman said, keying a button to magnify her profile and shrink the rest. "I've been consistently impressed with her growth, and it wouldn't hurt to have two Martians on the League."

"M'gann has perhaps matured more than most. I believe she is ready." Martian Manhunter said. Her earlier, emotionless state, and subsequent growth beyond it, was a testament to not only her development, but that of her support group.

"Any opposed?" Wonder Woman asked. Again, no arguments, so M'gann was also checked as to receive an invitation.

"Batman, what are your opinions on your partners?" Green Arrow asked. He'd prepared more people for the good fight than anyone else, so getting his take on his own would be vital, and save time.

From the Batcave, Batman sat back, with his fingers in a steeple position. "Nightwing has gone completely independent, claiming Blüdhaven as his own. He's going to need the time to get settled in. Damien isn't ready, as we all know. Red Robin has plans I'll get to in a minute, but Batgirl is ready, capable, and more likely to accept. I nominate her."

"I agree with Batman on all counts. Do any oppose Batgirl's nomination?" Wonder Woman asked, gauging the responses of the Justice League. Like Batman, she had no powers, or other extranormal abilities or equipment, just training, intelligence, and determination.

Again, there were no arguments, causing Batgirl's file to get marked and set aside. "Batman, you said Red Robin had a plan you wanted to address?"

"I do. He would pitch this himself, however he's currently following up on an investigation into the Burned Earth hacking ring. I'm taking remote access of the system now." Batman said, and the borders of several dossiers went from blue to green. "Of his own volition, Red Robin selected several members of the team, having foreseen this meeting occurring months ago."

The dossiers belonged to Red Robin, Wondergirl, Blue Beetle, Beast Boy, Kid Flash, Star Girl, and Tempest. In addition, two more dossiers also appeared, though they were largely incomplete. The first was a pale young lady in a purple hooded cloak, and second showed a slender teenager in a lavender and silver outfit with a bandanna style mask. The names listed for them were Raven and Bunker.

"Explain what we're seeing." Superman asked politely. He was already intrigued. He was a big fan of Tim Drake and the young man's work, seeing a lot of what Bruce could have been if the world were a different place. He just never disappointed.

"Red Robin is looking to take on the responsibility of forming a team consisting of these people, and dedicating themselves to the west coast. Currently, only Hal Jordan and Green Arrow work that part of the country, meaning quite often, the League is necessary for threats that are just beyond either of their capabilities. Having this team there would balance our influence considerably, and also give them a better shot at training and missions. We wouldn't lose anything after offering memberships to the other members of the team by doing this." Batman explained.

"I like it." Captain Atom said after a moment, noticing that neither Hal Jordan nor Green Arrow seemed too pleased by Batman's description of their abilities to keep the west coast safe on their own. "What about the logistics?"

"Green Arrow, is the Telecom Tower still a part of Queen Consolidated?" Batman asked, referring to the architectural monstrosity that was probably Oliver's biggest mistake in the nineties. The place, a large building in the shape of a letter T, had never gotten the use it was intended to have.

"I think I know what you're about to ask." Green Arrow said after thinking it over. "And my answer is yes. The place needs to have a purpose. It would need some updating, since it hasn't seen use since ninety seven, but not much. We change out the internal generators, water, and communication systems and they'd have a working base of operations."

"What would we call them?" Wonder Woman asked. Once the League had started adopting strays, and grouping them, the problem in never naming the original team was getting too big to ignore.

"The proposed name would be The Titans." Batman said. "Perhaps a bit grandiose, but effective nonetheless."

"So, do we agree that Red Robin can attempt to recruit these people first, and further, do we agree to dedicate resources towards them?" Wonder Woman asked.

A chorus of ayes was all she needed to hear. "Now, as to the work needing done?"

"I can offer some help there." Captain Atom said. "None of the Movers are quite where we think they should be for membership to the League, but Fractal can handle the work in less than a few hours. I won't dedicate my team to a full quartering party, not when they have their own base to see to, but I think Fractal would agree. We'd need to ship in a few tons of raw materials, but that would save in not having to purchase or manufacture full equipment beforehand."

"Very well. We'll make the call to the, what is it called again? The Hacienda?" The Flash said. He'd been quietly reviewing the dossiers of everyone, running a lot of pros and cons through his head to determine how he'd vote, though it seemed like Red Robin had saved him a lot of trouble.

"Yes, the Hacienda, which is still a few weeks from completion. Red Robin should have plenty of time to recruit his team and get them up to speed." Captain Atom replied. He'd grown fond of his team, and felt confident he'd be proposing their names in a few short years.

"Outstanding. Let's keep going. What about Superboy?" Hal asked, looking at Superman. His original distance and discomfort at his clone had turned into a much healthier big brother attitude, and he'd spent a good time working with Conner, helping him with his powers, and skills, but more importantly, his emotional management.

"Superboy is," Superman said thoughtfully, trying to come up with the right words. "Superboy is undergoing some very rigorous training at the Fortress. He's not ready yet, but he will be, probably by year's end, and in much better shape. I have some Kryptonian research that promises to be of use to him."

"Noted." Hawkwoman said. "Doctor Fate, what's the status of Zatanna's project?"

"Justice League Dark progresses as expected." Fate said, his dual voice still unnerving several people at the table, though Giovanni's pride in his daughter still managed to come through.

"Did we have to call it that?" Captain Marvel asked, making a face. He still wasn't completely thrilled by having a group calling themselves that, as it made them sound like they were the Evil Justice League. People had already tried that.

"That team has a ghost, a demon, and a self-titled master of the dark arts on its roll. What else would you suggest they call themselves?" John Stewart asked, his blunt tone sounding a bit condescending to Captain Marvel, who frowned at him.

"Something not that." He replied, annoyed. "At least the Runaways makes sense, and what about them anyway? Are we offering them a shot here?"

"No." Superman said. "They've repeatedly turned down offers from Aqualad and Nightwing. They've made it clear they prefer their autonomy. We'll continue to quietly observe and see if that changes in the future. Black Lightning, what about Static? Do you think he's ready?"

"Virgil is more than ready." Black Lightning said. "He's taken extremely well to his training, and rarely calls on me for more than advice already."

"Any opposed?" Wonder Woman asked. Again, no dissent. Had this happened eight months ago, there'd be argument at every turn, with every name. Probably even with Kaldur'ahm or Barbara, two people the League had considered for a few years now. Darkseid had changed all of that though. She was worried that his appearance was forcing them all to act without as much consideration, though even she couldn't doubt the necessity.

"Finally, Tigress?" She asked, bringing up Artemis' dossier. That would provoke some discussion.

"I can't responsibly recommend her." Black Canary said. "She's still taking suicidal risks, the kind that endanger not only herself, but others as well."

"She's earned the right to stand with us though." The Atom said. "After everything she's been through."

"Black Canary is right." Captain Marvel said, exercising the Wisdom of Solomon. "She's still not over Wally's passing, and I can't be sure she ever will be."

Wonder Woman, despite having seen much more of the world than her sisters, simply couldn't fathom how the young woman could pine over a man as much as she had, but she was different, everyone was different from one another. "I concur with Black Canary and Captain Marvel."

"As do I." Batman said. "But, I might have a way to help her. Again, taking remote access."

Another dossier came up, this one a young adult woman in a black costume with purple and white highlights, which left almost nothing to the imagination. It was roughly made, looking like a bathing suit with some windows cut out and some piping added. The file listed her as Helena Bertinelli, the daughter of Frank Bertinelli, a notable Gotham Mafioso.

"What's she trying to do here?" Green Arrow asked, not sure exactly what he was looking at. "Is she someone you want Artemis to take down?"

"No, I want Artemis to train her. I know something about the centering effect that being responsible for someone can offer. The Huntress has done some small good in Gotham, and I'm willing to dedicate my own resources towards this." Batman said, his tone turning grim. "Before she crosses the line."

"Don't waste good, right?" Flash said, thinking things over at remarkable speed. "I think Batman's got the right idea for Artemis."

"I don't see a problem with it." Black Canary said, seeing the value it would have for Artemis. "It would do her a lot of good I think. I'd like to touch on the Movers for a minute though. Captain Atom said they weren't quite ready, and I'm perfectly content with his estimation, but do we know how close they are?"

Captain Atom nodded, going ahead and pulling their dossiers. "Yes, roughly. Fractal might actually be ready for the League. He's responsible, intelligent, and more than powerful enough to stand beside us, but he's still quite young, and he has personal troubles that might make him act unpredictably, though he'll probably see a reduction in this sometime next year."

"Daeva is exceptionally powerful too, I believe Doctor Fate said her potential was near limitless, but she lacks the kind of confidence that she needs to really stand on her own. She'd need a year or two of real challenges to see if she can develop the willpower necessary."

"Mustang, just like Fractal, is also exceptionally powerful, and also well-trained, owing to his relationship with Batgirl, but with two Martians and two Green Lanterns, I'm worried he might be redundant and considered a less valuable resource when similar skills are necessary. Also, as evidenced with Darkseid's invasion, he's still perfectly happy taking foolish risks, leaving him a little wild. Again, give him a couple of years."

"Godiva is raw, and more than a little lazy. Like the rest of the team, she's quite powerful, easily on par with Superboy, but she lacks initiative. That's something that can be taught though, so I'm investigating ways to do so. In addition, we don't fully understand the depth or origin of her abilities, leaving her in a state of unknown."

"That leaves Koa, who, as we know, has accepted responsibilities with the Throne of Atlantis. Again, very powerful, but when compared to similar peers, I believe he might seem superfluous. His training, more than any member of the team, however, is of the highest order. As a Royal guardsman of Atlantis, he has gained significant education and experience, leaving him uniquely suited. I'd recommend him, with dispensation from Mera, but taking him without the rest of the team isn't a good idea, as he'd be lacking his support network for some time."

"Well said." Doctor Fate replied. "It is imperative that Daeva be tested to the utmost, otherwise her skills will never advance."

"All of them need a challenge, a big one. Not just the Movers." Superman said. "We're inducting more people, but the League is so large that the threats we aren't handling are ones that we've had to triage down. I think it's time we see what they're capable of without us."

Batman narrowed his eyes in thought. "I agree with Superman. I think we need to take a vacation."

"That'll be the day." Captain Marvel snarked quietly. He was elbowed in the ribs for his trouble by Black Canary, but he still spoke up, this time, a bit more constructively. "So, we're just going to up and vanish?"

"Hal and I could use the time to return to Oa anyway. Due to the activity happening on Earth, the Guardians sent a fourth ring, and the recipient needs to undergo some training before he's ready to get into it." John Stewart said. "Guy Gardner will remain on Earth in the event of an emergency."

"Themyscira is still in a state of quiet upheaval. I could stand to support my mother during this time, and hopefully turn the mess made into opportunity." Wonder Woman said after a minute.

Other members of the League worked out what they could attend to, distant enough to be out of the picture, but not too far in the event of something on the global scale of catastrophic. They decided to wait until the induction ceremony though, to give the newest members a chance to get accustomed to the weight of responsibility.


	5. Chapter 4 (Yep, it's a lemon)

March 2nd  
North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii  
1830 HAST

The fiery reds and oranges of the sunset lit the sky ablaze, while the cool ocean breeze served to balance the heat within the two young lovers sitting on the sand. Alone and watching the world pass by for a moment, both Barbara and Deke were able to pretend that their education and bitter late winter weather weren't waiting for them back in Gotham.

"It's so beautiful here." Barbara said dreamily, her knees bent and drawn halfway to her chest as she lounged against her lover and fiancée. "I wish we could stay longer."

"Liho said we could use his place for our honeymoon." Deke said, his hands mindlessly stroking her beautiful red hair as he watched the waves crash onto the soft sand. "I told him I'd mention it to you."

"I'm willing to put a big pin in this one Cowboy." Barbara said, turning her head and placing a kiss on his hand. She snuggled into him further and leaned her head back, inviting him to return the favor.

"Awesome." He said, his voice relaxed and comfortable sounding. He happily replied to her invitation, tilting his head and kissing her back on the tip of her nose before taking her face in his hand and guiding her around. She giggled, but followed his lead, which made her turn around into him. It gave him the access to her lips that he wanted, and used his nose against hers to steer her where he'd like her to be.

Barbara let him, and adjusted herself on her knees, getting herself comfortable as he kissed her, savoring the moment. She cooed contentedly at the touch of his lips, which brought a pause and a smile to his face. She giggled, and tickled his abs before leaning back in to kiss him again, though he had other ideas. She gave a surprised noise as he wrapped his arms around her and bore her softly to the sand, lips still entangled with hers.

Laying over and a bit to the side of her, Deke pulled away and just looked at her. Burning red hair, eyes to shame the ocean, and a smile she gave to nobody else. "I love you, that's why." He said to her, hearing her brain telling her mouth to ask why he was staring.

"Shut up and kiss me." She said through those perfect red lips, and wrapped her hands into his hair and pulled him back to her. It was as much to hide the color rushing to her cheeks as it was an intense desire to just be close to her boy. She loved the way their chests pressed together, her breasts under just enough pressure, and their hearts close enough to feel beating.

With her hands still tangled up in his hair, Barbara guided him more fully on top of her, bringing her legs apart to allow him to get even closer. She'd made no secret of her desire for him, she never had really, and would never, _ever_ apologize for it. She giggled though, when he kissed down her jawline to her neck, and began sniffing at her perfume like some kind of addict, and she supposed, in his own way, he was.

"You're perfect." He whispered to her, and meant every damn word of it. Bathed in the sunset fire, their intimacy scored by the steady rhythm of the ocean crashing on the rocks and sand, she was at home, another force of nature.

Goosebumps rippled across her skin at the soft pressure of his breath in her ear, and she squirmed from the tickling sensation. The adjustment in positioning left her feeling more of him, and liking what she felt. She wanted him, and it was clear he wanted her too. "Are we alone?" she asked, whispering back, reaching behind her neck to unto the knot holding her bikini top on.

Deke leaned up, closed his eyes, and went still for a moment, giving her time to tug the lacing just to the edge of its ability to keep her top on. "Nobody in my range that doesn't know better than to walk up on us." He said, and opened his eyes to see her undo the knot, which released the tension on her top, causing her breasts to spill free from their covering. He gave an eager, but not impatient look, which caused her to giggle at him.

"Good." Barbara said, and shivered as his fingertips brushed up her thighs to the side laces on her bikini bottoms. These, he pulled with a casual pace, not wanting to look like a horny teenager, despite feeling very much like one. You just plain didn't try to recreate a porno shoot on the beach, even when the woman in front of you has her perfect, nude body on display.

To prove this point, he let Barbara undo the drawstring on his trunks. While she could be the most dangerously analytical thinker in the world in the right frame of mind, she had the worst trouble with knots, belts, really and kind of fastener when she was turned on, and the flush in her skin, and her dilated pupils were a sure indicator of what she wanted.

"You do this on purpose, don't you?" She said in a slightly frustrated tone. To answer her, he helped her, undoing the knot and pulling the Velcro fly apart, allowing his shaft to spring out. He pushed them down to his knees, and quickly did a walking motion to get fully rid of the offending garment.

"I think I stand corrected," Barbara said in a husky tone. "This is where it might never be more perfect." She leaned her head back and moaned softly as he placed his shaft at her entrance, already dewy from her thoughts and their kissing. He slid into her easily, causing another moan, this one less soft as she felt him pressing on all sides within her.

She wrapped her legs around Deke's back, and her arms around his neck as he set a slow pace, which suited her perfectly. Her body was exceptionally responsive, which was an asset in war, but a potential problem in love. A slow, steady, gradual buildup would give her a lovely finish without overtaxing her, something he'd been better about doing (for the most part anyway, he had to show out on occasion).

Deke followed her guidance as she pulled him closer, the metal of the rings in her nipples tickling his chest, though the silk of her lips encouraging him at the same time. She cooed and moaned softly into his ear, occasionally taking a light nibble of his lobe or neck. She'd long since given up trying not to be such a biter, about the time she'd finally accepted his admission that he enjoyed it.

Deke brushed her hair out of her face as she lay on the sand, returning the favor by kissing along her neck and down her shoulder. She giggled through her soft coos and moans at the feather light touch of his lips and tongue, though her body was signaling more than just amusement. Her heartbeat was beginning to pick up, and the flush of her skin grew more dramatic as her breathing got faster. Generally, he'd keep it up and let her have her climax, but he wanted to finish with her naturally, so he slowed to a stop, and rolled with her, letting her take control.

She smiled at her boy, put her hands on his shoulders, and leaned up, before rolling her hips as she rocked along on him. It felt wonderful to her, but it had the added bonus of giving her something else to think about, just enough distraction to keep things going a while longer. Of course, his hands found her breasts, cupping them from the underside and giving them what she could best describe as a proper squeeze.

Barbara arched her back into the motion, her breathing steady but heavy. The panting, higher pitched sounds were, well, cute, but Deke would never call her out on it, he loved it too much; the honesty and vulnerability she showed with him was a treasure, and the way she rode him on the sand, on the empty beach under the setting sun, that was pure vulnerability, and he loved her for sharing it with him.

Barbara paused a few times, occasionally shifting her positioning, trying not only to find the right spot, but to keep from finding it too early. To accommodate her, Deke pushed himself up, leaving her in more of a straddling position, and put a hand on the small of her back. She opened her mouth hungrily as he moved, the friction on her button getting her every time, and joined him as they looked for their rhythm.

This was _their_ position though, and finding that rhythm wasn't difficult to do at all. She gave an oddly shy look as he grasped her bottom and squeezed the taut muscles beneath, enjoying not only his firm grip on her muscles, tired from all the walking they'd done that day, but the way it pulled her closer into him.

For Deke, a lot of the fun came in having her exceptional breasts available. He wasn't allowed to use his mouth yet, since her nipples were still in the final stages of healing after being pierced, but he could at least use his free hand to squeeze and knead the tender skin, lighting off the nerves within, and showing her how attractive he found her.

Barbara felt the fire growing brighter as she made love to her boy, the sunset finally replaced by moonlight. Their sweat glinted in the faint white light, and the cool air brought a chill to her body, causing her nipples to stiffen even tighter. The picture they were creating was certainly contributing to that fire, engaging her mind as much as her sex, and that fire was unwilling to be ignored again.

"I'm about to finish." She said through rapidly hitching breath as she grasped his shoulders and readjusted her hips, causing his shaft to dig just a little bit deeper, giving her just that much more of what she wanted. He also gave her more, the hand on her bottom grasping tighter as he helped her glide against him, the pressure within her building just a little brighter, threatening to reach a flashpoint.

Their pace picked up, the slow waltz rising to a crescendo finish as the joined almost frenetically. The immediate, and sudden, increase in speed was the spark of her fuse, and that fire began getting brighter, and hotter. She could feel his muscles tightening, his grip on her bottom going from firm to hard, though her nails were beginning to sink into the skin of his back.

"I'm with you." Deke muttered, feeling the imminence of their conclusion. Every part of his equipment tightened in preparation, but then again, so did hers, the satin glove that was her sex squeezing him perfectly.

"Kiss me." She asked, her request sounding almost begging in the half-seconds before her climax, but she was anything but begging. Deke put his lips to hers as she asked, and opened them, their tongues meeting almost instantly as her climax hit her. The fusion of sensations was the right way to finish, she would think later. Their lips and tongues working together as much as his key to her lock to send her sailing over the edge, her orgasm washing through her like the waves that were their backdrop.

She had to release his lips to bite down on his shoulder, because of course she did. The sharp, stinging pressure sent him off with her. He saw stars, and then nothing for a moment as he pulsed within her. She whimpered through her climax, every jerk of his shaft keeping her afloat another moment longer.

The lovers held to one another for several minutes, catching their breath and happily riding along on the post-coital train. "You said you're with me." Barbara said, once she caught her breath. Her face was set in an almost bashful smile. "I liked that."

"I'm glad I made you smile darlin'." Deke drawled, bringing her back down to the sand. She moved to retie her bathing suit, but he put his hands on hers, staying her action, and did it for her. "Why drive when you can be driven?" he said, when she was about to protest that she could dress herself.

Barbara shook her head and showed him the tip of her tongue, and pulled her top back up over her breasts, not bothering to do more than contain her modesty. Liho's home was a couple dozen yards up the beach, with a small path leading to it, so she'd be changing soon anyway.

"Oh, thank you, by the way." She said, sitting up and gathering her button down. When he gave her a bemused look, she elaborated. "You stayed inside me the whole time, it kept sand from getting in." she explained, her expression a derpy grin.

"Oh wow, cool, glad to." Deke said, pulling his trunks back on. "That would've sucked, huh?"

"Yeah, definite buzzkill." Barbara said, standing up with him. "Are you hungry too, or is it just me?"

"Babe, that's a silly question to ask." Deke replied, and slipped his hand into hers as they walked up the path to Liho's small home.

The place, hand built by Liho himself, sat on the same property his parents had owned, before they'd moved into Pūpūkea proper to be closer to medical facilities. That his father's doctor was a haole gave Liho no end of amusement.

The home was a small affair, built in a style that reflected Hawaii well. Natural woods with as little working as possible, married with Japanese influence, was what greeted a passerby on the lonely road it sat upon. Within, that Asian influence continued with rich red hardwood floors at different levels, though he'd added plenty of modern amenities, such as a pretty decent kitchen and an impressive bathroom, built for a man the height and width of Liho Kamekona.

The Movers, who'd all shown the same shock and surprise when he'd shown pictures, had all but forgotten that being an Atlantean guard wasn't just volunteer service. He received an actual wage for his duties, and clearly, Aquaman and Mera were generous souls to the people who served as their last line of defense. (not that they ever listened to them anyway, the moment something happened, they were both on the front lines.)

"Are Liho and Pacifica still home?" Barbara asked, noticing there were no lights on that she could see. They hadn't passed them to get into the water, though Barbara couldn't be certain that she wouldn't have missed them in the middle of their activities.

"Yeah, they've been there. We wouldn't be interrupting naked time, since she wants to take things slow. I bet they forgot to turn lights on, they can both see in the dark." Deke said, looking at Barbara when she gave his hand a squeeze. "Probably just being comfortable with each other, is my guess."

"I hope so." Barbara said while having a rare moon eyed moment. "I'm kind of rooting for them actually."

"I figured you'd be kinda the opposite, what with her looking for a husband because her lifestyle dictates it." Deke said, puzzled.

"That bothered me at first." Barbara said, sitting on one of the large flat stones Liho had set along the path specifically for people to sit on. "But I talked to her, and she convinced me that she wants him for him, not because of any stupid requirement. Also, she's extremely sweet."

"Bless her heart, she really is." Deke agreed with a nod, though his expression changed to confusion again at Barbara's face. She looked taken aback by him agreeing with her. "Babe, what's wrong?"

"You taught me that one. I thought that was a very rude and condescending thing to say." She replied, not sure why he'd said such a thing. She didn't have the best handle on some of his slang, but she was dead certain that blessing someone's heart was not a legitimate blessing.

"Oh no. Two ways to use it, sorry. Tone's important on that one. Sorry, advanced redneckery doesn't start till after we're married, or if we have to stay at the family home for an extended period of time." Deke explained, suddenly embarrassed.

"Advanced redneckery?" Barbara asked with a giggle, her face a mask of mock horror. "There's advanced classes?"

"Yes'm. I can't exactly dump it all at once on you. That'd be unkind." Deke said, and stood up, the night air chilling him. He offered his love a hand, and she took it nicely, standing up and keeping hold as they continued on to the house. They were about halfway to the back door when a couple of lights flicked on, and the door itself slid open.

"Hey you two! I'm makin' dinner." Liho called out, waving them on. "I need some hands in the kitchen."

"So there's me, Doctor Sous chef." Deke said, making a joke bad enough that Barbara just shook her head at him.


	6. Chapter 5

March 2nd  
North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii  
2045 HAST

"I hope that this doesn't embarrass you, but did you and your betrothed go to the sand?" Pacifica asked. She was sitting on one of the low couches in the living room, and had directed this query to Barbara, who had just come out from the bathroom, still toweling her wet hair.

"Uh, yeah, we were on the beach, why? Did I miss something?" Barbara asked, wiping at her bare midriff. She was in comfortable cotton pants and an old tee shirt (one of her own, surprisingly) that had seen better days, hanging off a shoulder and only partially covering her abdomen.

"Oh no, you seem to have washed thoroughly. Going to the sand is euphemism." Pacifica asked, her expression soft and almost hopeful looking, and why in God's name was everyone so interested in their sex life?

"Oh, yeah, that too." Barbara nodded. The Atlantean's expression was one of near pure joy, her features lighting up brightly.

"That is beautiful!" Pacifica said. "I am happy for you both." She said, and scooted around on the sofa to give Barbara a place to sit. The soft microfiber upholstery was a new tactile sensation for her, and she was near addicted to how it felt on her skin, but she wasn't about to be rude either.

"Thank you?" Barbara replied, and sat down with her. "I'm glad our private time makes you happy." She added, not entirely sure why the girl was so excited for them. It wasn't that she seemed the type to fist bump a friend for getting laid, it was something else. "Could you maybe elaborate for me? It was nice, but it wasn't exactly a new experience for us."

"I lived a very structured life," Pacifica explained. "Everything must be done a certain way, in accordance to etiquette or specified behavior. Had I chose to marry an Atlantean noble, I would never be able to literally go to the sand with a lover, such a thing would have been unheard of. I am reaffirmed that I have chosen this approach. Have I overstepped my bounds?"

Well, that explained a lot of things. "No, not at all," Barbara said, turning to converse with the duchess. "I'm just glad you didn't ask for details, or a demonstration. Our guide in Themyscira actually asked us to kiss."

"I'm familiar enough with the process that I need no details. What is the surface phrase? What happens in the Conservatory remains within the Conservatory." Pacifica said almost conspiratorially. She'd had a fair share of experience in the ways of physical love, perhaps less than her peers, but she was by no means virginal.

"Did you kiss for your guide? I imagine she had never seen a man and woman kissing before, it must have been exciting for her." Pacifica continued, Barbara seeming much more relived at the course of their conversation.

"We did actually. I think it made her as happy as you are about what happened earlier." Barbara said. "I'm not going to lie, in retrospect, it was nice. We didn't get raunchy or anything so she got to see a pretty loving exchange. I'm just glad she stopped there."

"Some things _do_ demand privacy." Pacifica agreed. "Were you not afraid of being spied upon outside?"

Barbara nodded. "I had Deke listen for thoughts, he said nobody was nearby. About halfway into it, I really didn't care anyway. It was a lovely experience." She wouldn't have given that much detail, but the enthusiastic expression on the girl's face was encouraging. It was like telling her a fairy story, though perhaps a little closer to an original version.

"I hope to have that eventually. Perhaps we could change the subject though? This topic is, as you said, lovely, but putting too much thought to it would discourage my decision to remain chaste for the time being." Pacifica said honestly.

"Yeah, perfectly fine with me. Are you excited to begin classes at Gotham University?" Barbara asked. The girl would be a classmate, and might even share a class or two with her, as she'd chosen to take more core classes than electives in her first couple of years.

"I am very excited, yes. King Orin made a request to the school to replace the pool filter so that it uses salt instead of chlorine. It will make swimming much more comfortable." Pacifica replied. "It leaves me wondering what else I am to do with my free time though."

"Gotham's got plenty to do. I've lived there my whole life and I probably haven't seen half of it." Barbara explained. Her home might have its problems, and plenty of them, but Gotham could be good to people too, if you treated her right. "What do you like to do?"

"My experience with the surface is still very limited, unfortunately." Pacifica lamented. "Would you help me experience new things in Gotham?

Love the girl's heart but she was so endearing. "I'd like that." Barbara agreed. "Oh, sorry, I need to take this." She added, grabbing her insistently chirping phone. The call was from Bruce, on the encrypted line. That meant trouble, the kind where Hawaii would have to wait.

Pacifica watched her slip off into the guest bedroom and shut the door behind her, and decided to check in on the men in the kitchen. Seeing them in there was a whole new experience for her, as they seemed so diametrically opposed in the way they worked.

Liho, like in all things, was very calm and positive. He was currently at the end stage of breaking down a very respectable Bluefin tuna, and had some kind of strips of another meat laying next to the fish, waiting to be used for something. Deke, on the other hand, had several items orbiting his head. He would grab one almost at random, and dump some of the contents into a bowl, while stirring it vigorously.

"What is dinner this evening?" She asked, slipping into the kitchen gracefully. Liho looked up, and she had no trouble noticing the look in his eyes and the smile on his face. He was pleased to see her, a good sign.

"Doin' a bacon wrapped barbecue tuna on the grill. My bro here makin' the sauce. I think we havin' rice and green beans too." Liho said, his hands working completely independent of his mouth. "I gotta be honest here, we gonna spoil you girls tonight."

"Damn right." Deke said, using his powers to scoop a taste of the sauce out. It was the most sanitary way of tasting his work after all. He could mess with it all night and still not be perfectly satisfied, but as barbecue sauces went, it was good enough to serve. Setting it aside, he then summoned the bag of green beans to his place at the counter, and began stringing them.

"I am flattered Liho." Pacifica said, approaching him and placing a hand on his arm. "After we eat, would you like to take a night swim?"

"Yeah, that be pretty nice." Liho replied, currently wrapping the tuna in bacon strips, and securing them with toothpicks. "Brah, you and Bee wanna join us?" he asked, turning to look at Deke.

"Nah, I'm Zeta lagged and I bet she is too. It's two in the morning for us as is, and we've had a busy day." Deke said, knowing full well the two of them taking a night swim wasn't something he or Babs needed to be involved in. "You two have fun."

"If you're sure." Liho said, feeling better for having fulfilled his host duties, and relived for Deke not taking him up on it. He picked up a piece of tuna, preparing it for the grill. He grabbed another toothpick, and tasted the sauce. Consistently Deke's recipe, it wasn't going to win any awards, but it was pretty damn good.

"Yeah, he and I need to talk." Barbara said, slipping into the kitchen silently. "Nothing bad though, don't go getting worried."

"What's up babe? Something private?" Deke asked, still just casually stringing beans. It wouldn't have been anything to take a peek, just to understand why she was acting and talking the way she was. Except, it would have been everything. He listened while they were intimate, for very obvious reasons, and a few other places, but this was her thing, and she'd talk when she was damn well good and ready, and he respected that.

"No, it's not private. I uh," Barbara said, pulling a chair out from the small kitchen table. "I just got invited to join the Justice League." While Deke wouldn't look into her thoughts, he couldn't help but feel her emotions, and they were considerably mixed. She was somehow excited, pleased, worried, nervous, and confused all in one go. It was a good thing he'd grown accustomed to living with, and loving, a mentally complicated woman.

"That's good news though, right?" Deke said, sounding much more excited than she did. He walked away from the stringing of beans, though they continued to string themselves despite his absence. Sitting down across from her, he looked at her with a warm expression. "Right?"

"I mean, yeah, its amazing news. I just don't know if I'm going to accept or not." She said, taking his hands, and giggling quietly at the floating vegetables. "I've still got a doctoral program to finish after all, and I still fully intend to have a family. The League is big time, and big responsibility."

"Well, I can't make the decision for you." Deke said. He wouldn't attempt to influence her choice either way, but he would absolutely support whatever it was. She would, and had, done the same for him. "But I will say this. We're in Hawaii, let's enjoy Hawaii and fret about it later, okay?"

"When'd you turn into the thoughtful, logical one?" Barbara asked, so used to being the one to make him step back and breathe for a minute and get out of his own head. She couldn't deny that on the rare moments when the shoes changed feet, he was able to do the same for her. She'd have a lot to think on, a whole lot, but he was feeding her the same advice she gave him, making him right by virtue of her not wanting to be hypocritical.

"I believe this is wonderful news, no matter your decision. I have heard many tales of the great things you and the other heroes have accomplished, and I firmly believe that such an invitation was both well deserved, and deserving of celebration." Pacifica said.

"Yeah Sistah, this big time. Either you in the Justice League, or you probably the first to turn them down. Either way a big deal!" Liho said, returning to cooking and picking his pace up to make up for lost time. The tuna was ready, and so were the beans. The rice was in the cooker, doing its thing, so he turned the fire on under the pot the beans would boil in, and under the cast iron grill pan sitting on the stove. He would have used the grill outside, but he'd accidentally left the propane on the last time he used it, and hadn't gotten more.

"Yeah, I can accept that." Barbara said, feeling a little more at ease. "So, before I overthink myself into a huge ball of grumpy, can I help with dinner?"

"Almost done, just gotta put a good sear on this fish and get the beans good." Liho said. "So, uh, make sure your appetite's handy."

"Oh, I'm more than happy to eat." Barbara replied, winking at her boy. They concluded lovemaking in one of two ways, either passing out immediately, or eating whatever was in sight. Both of them had impressive metabolisms, hers from a lifetime of athletics, his from his powers, and while she joked about marrying a hobbit, she wasn't blameless either.

Dinner was served in short order, the four of them sitting down to eat. Liho set out bottles of Hawaiian Sun POG Nectar, an extremely popular drink in the islands, and they dug in. The expected dinner conversation started, but ended quickly, once everyone got into their plates. Barbara had come to expect a certain level of wonderful when her boy and her adoptive brother worked the kitchen over, but seeing the pleased look on the other girl's face reminded her of the first time she'd eaten their combined cooking efforts.

After dinner, the two couples separated, Liho and Pacifica heading down to the beach, and Deke and Barbara going to the guest bedroom. Barbara took her pants off and sat on the bed with her legs crossed under her, a thoughtful look on her face. Deke, recognizing what she was doing, sat down beside her and began rubbing her shoulders.

"Mmm, thank you Cowboy." She said, leaning into his hands and enjoying his touch. She'd spent dinner able to just ignore her conflicting feelings, but it was becoming clear she wasn't going to be able to put them on the back burner like she wanted. "What do you think I should do?" she asked suddenly.

That was certainly out of left field. Deke supposed he must've been losing his touch. Doubling down, he began using his powers on her, tweaking her muscles into warming up and releasing tension easier. "I think this is your life, not mine." He said, trying not to influence her.

"The day you gave me this ring, you made my life yours, and your life mine. We've talked about this babe. I want your opinion, so don't beat around the bush please." Barbara said, appreciating his application of psychometabolism.

"I think you have an obligation to yourself," Deke said after a moment's thought. "I think that you've given the world a lot of your time, and there's plenty of people alive, that wouldn't be because of you. But, this is who you are too. You're not just Babs, you're Batgirl, and the world really does need you. Gotham at the very least. So, split the difference."

"And how do youuuooooohhh," Barbara began, before trailing off. His hands worked down between her shoulder blades, to what he referred to as her back's DMZ, the space where her bra strap resided. "How do you propose I split the difference?"

Deke took a breath, balancing himself. "Become a reserve member. It's what I was planning on doing if I got invited to the League before I finished school. Be available for the big stuff, but just keep to Gotham otherwise."

"You had a plan for a League invitation?" Barbara asked. "Have you checked your messages? You may have gotten one too, Bruce said a lot of the team were getting invites."

"Nope, don't need to." Deke said, bringing his legs up so that she rested against his shins, allowing him to use his knees as a fulcrum point to stretch her out. "We're not high enough level yet."

"Don't sell yourselves short," Barbara admonished. Her boy had come a long way into believing in himself, and she despised hearing him talk like that. Honest self-evaluation was one thing, but not at his, or anyone else's expense. "You've all grown a lot."

"Yeah, we have, but not enough. Give us a volcanic eruption, or a tidal wave, or a flood and we can flat school anyone on how to superpower through it. First time some badass whoever from another time or space shows up, we might as well be throwin' rocks at a mountain." Deke explained, taking his time to pick his metaphors so he could clearly get his point across before she got upset for him talking poorly about himself.

"Okay, I get you. I heard you all were going into a bigger mission profile, though. You'll get more experience that way, and quick I bet." Barbara said hopefully. She still wanted to see the day her boy was standing in front of the Hall of Justice, accepting his League card.

"Yeah, for sure. It'll also give the team a break too, so they can live their lives a bit easier. We've all been kinda lazy waitin' on a disaster, so we'll be stretched out, but the new blood'll help there. Summer's gonna be a mess for me though." Deke drawled, his accent coming out thick from being tired due to his full stomach and Zeta lag.

Barbara yawned too, his hands on her back and shoulders relaxing her into a puddle. Outside, a gentle rain began falling, and it was just loud enough to make her even sleepier. "We survived Darkseid, we can survive this too." She said, leaning forward and rolling around to get to one side of the bed. "C'mere Cowboy." She said, motioning for him to join her.

"Yes ma'am." Deke drawled, and laid down beside her, pulling her close to his body. "I love you." He said, nuzzling her neck.

"I love you too." Barbara said, momentarily rolling over to get a kiss before returning to her exceptionally comfortable position. She still had a wealth of headache to sift through, but sleep would catch her before it did.


	7. Chapter 6

March 3rd  
Ivy Town  
0745 EST

The tiny bungalow wasn't much, just a bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. But, in a major college town, the rent was more than fair for what she got (considering utilities were included), and the landlord was an absolute angel. If only her district manager were too.

Sitting up out of bed, Aasha Nagra slipped her feet onto the floor and stood up stretching. The sunshine coming through her window shone on her bare, dark, and flawless skin as she debated breakfast or shower. The shower won out after a moment's thought, so she wandered nude into her bathroom, her mind trying to figure out why the DM had called such an early meeting on a Saturday morning. It was almost criminal.

She handled her morning business quickly and pushed the small stool towards the bathroom vanity so she could get a good look in the mirror. Aasha turned to the left and right, and once again decided against a haircut. It had grown long enough that she had to be careful to move it out of the way before she sat down on the toilet to prevent peeing on her own hair. It was a definite pain sometimes, but her hair was healthy and beautiful and she loved it.

That was one of the few things she loved about herself though. Her last doctor's appointment had been joyous, since her doctor had been able to deliver the news that she'd grown an inch. That still left her two inches shy of five feet tall though, and at twenty-two years old, she probably wasn't going to do much more growing. It seemed like the footstool was going to be a constant companion throughout her life.

She could, at least, be satisfied by her breasts, seeing as she'd paid enough for them. Her cosmetic surgeon had done a remarkable job of making them look like they really belonged, and it leveled her out between her boobs and her bum. She hadn't gotten them out of vanity, but instead to actually look like an adult woman, so she could stop being accused of carrying a fake ID.

The thought brought a flush to her face, something she had to banish before she got too involved in that line of thinking and made herself late for the meeting. Instead, she got down off the footstool and ran her hands up and down her arms, legs, and across her more private areas. With a thoughtful look, she summoned a web of electricity between her fingers, and began the process of removing what hair she discovered.

It was a curse common to people from the Indian subcontinent; a natural abundance of body hair growing on people living in an exceptionally hot environment. Granted, she'd only lived in India for a couple of years before moving to England, and finally, the United States, but genetics were genetics, no matter how much of her body was planned by her parents in their efforts to conceive a magically superior being.

As usual, once she got to her pubic hair, the electricity tingled, tickling her terribly. She couldn't contain her giggles, she never could, but the finished product made it worth it. Perfectly smooth without an inch of irritation or stubble, it left her feeling sexy, and Aasha loved feeling sexy.

Going back to the footstool, she got back in front of the mirror and gave another turn. "No, you know what, I am sexy." She said with a determined nod. So what if she was short? So what if she hated her nose? So what to any of it? She was capable of knocking on a door in Gotham city, flashing a smile, and taking one of the most badass women she knew to bed, and unquestionably satisfying her. More than that, she'd turned away hurricanes and tidal waves, by will alone, and calmed the raging Earth. She wasn't so sure Goddess was the right thing to call herself, but she wasn't some scared little girl.

Finally stepping into the shower, she bathed as quickly as her very long hair would allow. Her whole body could be washed in under a minute if she was being efficient, but her hair was a whole other matter, taking several minutes to even soak all the way through. Drying it, that was quick at least.

Once her shower was finished, she took control of the water in her hair, and began drawing it together, forcing it to roll down each strand to collect at the ends, before releasing the large bubble in one go, letting it fall to the floor of the tub in a dramatic splash that made her giggle.

After that, it was a quick towel and a both hair and tooth brush. Her moment of self-confidence had left her feeling peppier than usual, so she wiggled her bum to music in her head as she finished her daily routine.

March 3rd  
Ivy Town  
0930 EST

"Good morning!" Aasha called out cheerfully, slipping into the Children's Boutique where she worked. The store wouldn't be open for another half hour, but all seven employees and the three managers were within, leaning against counters or sitting on small benches that they'd pulled from the shoe section. Most seemed more curious than anything, though the two closing employees and the night manager seemed quite tired.

"Good morning Aasha." The store manager, an elderly woman named Linda said. "You're the last one to get here, so let's get started."

The assembled crew of the small store all turned to face their boss, who was standing in front of the counter in the middle of the store. "Jerry, our district manager, contacted me three days ago and asked me to call a meeting." Linda said, and reached behind the counter and grabbed a short stack of envelopes.

"The store has been underperforming for three years now. It's nobody's fault, we're just in a college town, which means there are fewer families here than in other locations in the district. It's just bad luck." Linda explained, and the looks on the faces of her crew were heartbreaking. It was clear what was happening.

"Effective today, this store is closed, for good. Jerry wanted me to wait to give you your severance checks until after we packed everything up to ship it back to the company, but I'm not going to ask you to shut your livelihood down. Jerry can get a crew and do it himself as far as I'm concerned. I'm retiring next week anyway, but I've added my personal information to these envelopes. Don't list him as a reference, use me." Linda instructed, and began handing the envelopes out.

A cold chill gripped Aasha's gut, making her regret her 'upgrades' again. She had almost nothing in savings because of it, and a severance check from a corporate store wouldn't be more than a couple of weeks. She'd played all manner of hell getting the job here to begin with too. She must have looked as worried as she felt, because Miranda, one of her favorite co-workers, put an arm around her and gave her a side hug.

"We'll be alright." The young black woman said quietly. She'd overheard Linda arguing on the phone with Jerry when he'd called about it, and had known it might be coming, though the confirmation had struck her just as hard.

Aasha nodded and accepted her envelope. She had some major decisions to make, and quickly. It left her distracted through the rest of the meeting, even when Linda broke out the coffee and donuts she'd bought to share with everyone before they parted ways. That severance check was a little less than three thousand dollars, or two months of full time, after taxes had been taken out, meaning rent would be covered for about three months, if she didn't feel like eating.

"Hey Ash," Rance, another of her coworkers asked. He was a young man who she'd attempted to flirt with until she discovered he wasn't so much into girls. "Does this mess up your work visa?"

"No," she replied after shaking her head clear of her bleak study. "Not that it'll matter soon. I submitted the first round of paperwork to become a full citizen last week."

"Oh yay!" Rance said cheerfully. He came from money, and was only working here for something to do during the day. He could afford to be cheerful, but at the moment, it was a good thing. "You wanna celebrate?"

"I'd love to, but I need to cash this and get my rent paid before I accidentally spend it." Aasha said, having a hard time not perking up at Rance's mood. "But thank you all the same."

"Do you know what you're gonna do yet?" He asked, handing her a donut. Seeing her so down broke his heart, she was such a bright presence in the place that it didn't suit her well.

"I've got three months to decide. I have friends in Gotham, I might go there. There's plenty of galleries and museums too, I might be able to actually use my degree." Aasha decided quite suddenly. Showing up on Deke and Barbara's doorstep might be a bit problematic, especially after all of the sister wife jokes she and Babs had made. "I also have a friend in Florida too, so I have a couple of options."

"Gotham's not a safe place you know, Blüdhaven's probably better." Rance said, trying to talk her out of the dark city. He'd visited when he considered attending classes there, but the constant sirens had soured him. Not to mention not getting to see Batman at all, that had been a deal breaker.

"Like I said, I've got friends, and I've got a little time." Aasha said. "But, I need to get to the bank and catch my landlord." She moved towards the door and turned to wave at everyone, her small arm moving wildly.

"Goodbye everyone! It was a pleasure working with all of you!" She called out, and smiled at everyone's parting words in return.

After that, she hurried to the bank. She wasn't joking about accidentally spending her money. She'd chosen a double major in art and art history because she wasn't going to be an accounting major, like ever. As she walked through the chilly streets of Ivy Town, that worry began gnawing at her again. If she went to Gotham, or Hawaii, she'd be imposing on somebody. She could move into the Hacienda, but living out of the base just felt too strange to her. How Maddie could do it was beyond her.

It _was_ rent free though. All she'd have to purchase would be her own health and hygiene supplies, and getting a job there wouldn't be that difficult, especially with warmer weather just around the corner. Though, a job was the thing to consider. She'd gone to school, and put herself into remarkable debt, to work in the art field. There weren't many galleries in a vacation town in Florida, especially one that got its start as a fishing village.

Gotham was the place to go if she wanted to work in her field. Despite everything, the place was filled with art galleries, and the kind of wealthy people who enjoyed being patrons of the arts. Word was, Gotham's favorite son Bruce Wayne, bought large quantities of art to donate to galleries all over the world. Aasha was sure he already had a broker, but if he did it, others would too.

Aasha went about the rest of her day in this quiet, lonely funk, her landlord commenting on it when she paid her rent up for the next few months. She'd explained everything, and was relieved when he said he wouldn't hold her to her lease agreement, letting her move when she needed to. Again, the man was an absolute angel.

She ate a sandwich for lunch, sitting quietly on her sofa and ignoring the television while she chewed quietly. After that, in an attempt to break her mood, she slipped into her bedroom and pulled up a few spicy pictures she had stashed of Barbara and Deke. Before long, her hand grew busy, but her heart just wasn't in it. "Great, I'm a dried up shrew." She lamented sourly, putting her laptop away and washing her hands anyway.

It wasn't until around four in the evening that the idea struck her. Aasha checked her phone, and bollocks she'd paid too much on rent, so her phone was going to get shut off. Frowning, she opened the search and checked the time difference between Honolulu and Ivy Town. It was ten in the morning there. Deke and Barbara were visiting Liho, and she no longer had a job to do.

Aasha quickly pulled up Liho's name in her contact list, and put it on speaker while she put together a small overnight bag, grabbing her bathing suit first before she forgot. On the fourth ring, the line connected, though she expected it would be voicemail. Instead, she got a woman's voice.

"Hello?" the very pleasant sounding lady said.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I must have the wrong number." Aasha replied, though she'd dialed Liho from her contacts, not from the dialer.

"This is not my telephone, are you trying to reach Liho?" the woman asked, still sounding very pleasant. That's when it dawned on Aasha that the person on the other end was the Atlantean girl.

"Yes I am, may I speak to him please?" Aasha asked, debating internally on packing a sexy set of underwear, before finally saying sod it and tucking them in anyway, preferring to have them and not need them, than need them and not have them.

"He is fishing at the moment, may I tell him you called?" Pacifica said politely. Aasha could hear another voice in the background, muted, but clearly Babs from the pacing and tone. A pang of jealousy struck her, but she put it away. Barbara wouldn't go around seducing women for fun, nor would she allow herself to be seduced. "Wait, I am speaking to Aasha?"

"You are, yes." Aasha said, zipping her bag up and setting it by the front door. The sudden recognition Pacifica showed at her name was heartening.

"You are Liho's sister in salt. I am pleased to speak to you!" Pacifica said. "I had precious little time to meet all of you when we were together in Themyscira. Are you available to talk now?"

"I am, but I was actually hoping I would be able to come visit. I find myself having time away from work quite suddenly. Could you ask Liho to ring me when he returns from his fishing trip?" Aasha asked, her mood slowly beginning to lift.

"I will do better than that. Please wait a moment." Pacifica said, before setting the phone down. In the background, Aasha could hear her doing something, and then heard the Atlantean woman's voice, muted from being away from the speaker. She clearly heard her name in the second conversation.

"Hey Aasha, it's me. Pacifica doesn't know my real name." Barbara said, her voice coming over the phone quite suddenly. "So, if you could please?"

"Of course." Aasha replied. "How are you and Deke enjoying Hawaii?" she asked, picturing the two of them making love on the sand. While she certainly enjoyed being involved in it, she'd be lying if she didn't admit she liked watching it too.

"It's been fun." Barbara said, and Aasha could hear the mischievous look on Barbara's face in the way she spoke. "Oh, here's Pacifica."

"Aasha, I was able to reach him on his other line. He asks why are not already not in Honolulu. Deke volunteered to come pick you up, and, yes, Bee is also volunteering. I believe they will be there presently by the way she is dressing."

"I'll be there in no time, thank you." Aasha said. "Speak to you soon." She added, and hung the phone up. The walk to the Zeta stop from her tiny home was no short stroll, which gave Babs and Deke a chance to get there. The timing should work itself out well.


	8. Chapter 7

March 3rd  
North Shore Oahu Hawaii  
1200 HAST

It was raining when Aasha arrived in Hawaii to join her friends and teammates. That just would not do. Before she'd even left the small shop that concealed the Zeta stop, she dug deep within herself and summoned forth the magic ingrained in her body and soul. In short order, the rain cleared, and the noonday sunshine began brightening the forgotten shopping center.

Much like Deke and Barbara, she had to change clothes, having arrived from Ivy Town, where it was maybe forty degrees. She stripped casually, having all the privacy in the world in the boarded up room.

"Tell me all that's for me." A voice said from behind the old counter. Aasha turned, a ball of crackling electricity in her hand, ready to incinerate whoever'd snuck up on her. When she saw Barbara, in a loose linen shirt tied off under her breasts, and a pair of short shorts, Aasha contained the electricity she'd summoned.

"What's for you?" Aasha asked. When Barbara began slowly padding her way across the old store floor, she had her answer. "Is someone feeling randy?" she asked, waiting to dress.

"I have been, yeah." Barbara said, controlling her desire. It was pure chemical reaction from her hormones, but she was genuinely attracted to Aasha. The girl was, as far as Barbara was concerned, absolutely gorgeous. She would have killed to have the marble smooth complexion and sunlight resistant skin that Aasha had.

"So, shall I get myself dressed, or help you out of that?" Aasha asked, suddenly feeling like she was in a porno shoot and not sure how to feel about it given her still bleak mood. When Barbara wanted something, the determination in her eyes was hard to resist, and she seemed to want Aasha pretty bad.

"Deke's outside, so I should behave, his birthday's next month and we already played a couple of weeks ago." Barbara said reluctantly. "So get dressed before I get us both in trouble."

"As you like it." Aasha said, though Barbara swatted her bum when she bent over to open her overnight bag, eliciting a surprised noise and a giggle. "I still fail to see why you're so into me, but I appreciate it."

"You're beautiful, and you're smart. It's an attractive combo." Barbara said, helping the girl comb through her things to find the right outfit. She handed Aasha a spaghetti strap top and a pair of denim shorts. She didn't need so much coverage since she had the kind of skin that could handle more than three minutes of direct sunlight.

"Thank you Babs." Aasha said, catching her on the way up and placing a kiss on her cheek. "I really do appreciate it."

"It's no problem Ash." Barbara said, and let the girl get dressed. She knew if she stuck her head out the door and motioned for her boy, he'd be ready in a heartbeat, but she'd made rules for a reason, and not all of those reasons had to do with him. She was just as guilty for having some pretty hedonistic desires, and she much preferred keeping herself in check.

While Aasha was changing out of her warmer underwear and into something a bit less substantial for the Hawaiian temperatures, Barbara spoke up. "You said you found yourself suddenly having time off of work? What happened?"

Aasha sighed as she wiggled her bum into her bikini cut knickers. "My store closed down, so I'm out a job." She said, not wanting to revisit that so soon. It seemed though, it was going to happen regardless. "I got severance though, so I paid my rent up for a few months. It gives me time to find something."

"You're perfectly welcome to stay with us in Gotham. I bet you can find yourself a job at one of the galleries. I know a couple offer really good commission." Barbara offered, her hormones taking a back seat to concern over her girlfriend. She didn't say that Bruce owned those galleries, but she didn't need to.

"I don't want to impose, and no matter how little space I take up, I'm still there. Do you really want to wake up one morning and discover we're sister wives?" Aasha argued gently. "I've thought about it already, and thank you, but I'd need to have the job first."

"Okay, well, how about this? You stay for a week and drop some applications off. Your rent's paid up for now, so you can head back to Ivy Town afterwards, and if someone calls, you can fly or Zeta over for your interview. I'll even join you for it if I don't have class, or Deke can, you know he wouldn't mind." Barbara offered as counterargument.

"You're sure? I really don't want to impose." Aasha said, feeling awful about the whole situation. "I have a little bit of money left; I can buy groceries or something."

"You're going to need that for yourself." Barbara said with a level of finality that Aasha would never misconstrue. "You just worry about you right now. I will not have a loved one in a bad situation because they were stubborn, period, end of story."

Woah, okay, she meant that. Trying to defuse her, Aasha batted her eyes and gave her a sidelong glance. "You called me a loved one." She said quietly.

"Well yeah, I did." Barbara replied matter-of-factly. "Don't try to cute me on this one. You know good and well Deke and I care about you." Her tone was softening though, so there was at least some success.

"Okay, I'll stay the week." Aasha said, showing defeat. "I will not be a television houseguest though."

"Oh good lord could you imagine that? A series about the three of us?" Barbara said, picturing it. More than once, a tv network or two had tried to capitalize on the heroes of the world, and the culture they were affecting, by making sitcoms or procedural dramas based around superpowered individuals. A public access network in Gotham had actually done a pretty good job of it, all things considered, until they filmed in the wrong alley.

"I _am_ imagining it," Aasha said, zipping up her overnight bag and shouldering it. She peeked outside and saw Deke out there laughing his head off. "And apparently, loud enough that he can hear it too. I'm afraid of what he's thinking."

The two girls slipped out of the building, and joined Deke on the bench outside. He was still laughing, trying to keep himself under control, and doing a relatively piss poor job of it. "We'd be hilarious! Like, a late nineties young adult show, all indie band music and weird use of language, with character actor guest stars and stuff. Babs, babe, you'd be all nerded out but always showin' cleavage, and Aasha would sound totally off the boat and be way more into Doctor Who, and instead of weather and elements and stuff, you'd have premonitions!"

"You've clearly thought about this." Barbara said a bit tartly. Still, she couldn't deny he sounded close enough to right that trying to argue it would just be an exercise in debate, more than proving him wrong. "Lemme guess, you'd be some angsty pretty boy with a trendy haircut and a bad southern accent, probably played by some guy in his mid-thirties."

"Oh sheesh, yeah, probably." Deke said, only just barely reining himself in. "You lovely ladies ready to go?" he asked after a little bit more laughing.

"Yes please." Aasha said dryly. "Before you pass out." 

* * *

The three of them wandered into Liho's home about an hour later, the lunchtime traffic in Honolulu being a particular devil, especially since none of them really knew the city well, and Deke didn't want to ruin Liho's old truck, well, any more than it already was. It was an old mid-eighties model Ford, with more miles on it than the International Space Station. The doors were missing, and there was a huge hole in the top that started as rust until Liho or one of the three dozen previous owners took what looked like a sawzall to it and made a sunroof.

It had gotten them back to the North Shore safely though. When they got into the house, the first thing they noticed was that they were alone. "I wonder where they are." Aasha mused, glancing around and listening. If they were having it off, the place would be shaking, something she knew from experience.

"Doin' it?" Deke suggested. "Liho's a charming cat after all."

"No, I don't think so." Barbara said while looking around for a note of some sort. She'd just looked at her phone to check the time, and she wasn't situationally blind, so if there was a message, she would have noticed it. "Pacifica seemed pretty interested in taking things slow."

"They could be making out somewhere then, or possibly just having a walk on the beach. Our minds are in the gutter today apparently." Aasha suggested, poking Barbara in the ribs. She couldn't blame her though. Aasha was also on Alprazaline for birth control, and knew full well how bad it messed with her hormones leading up to her off week. Thinking about that, she was due in a few weeks, likely right around Deke's birthday. He was going to love that.

"Yeah, that's for sure." Barbara muttered, checking in the kitchen. "Here's a note, and why we didn't get a text or anything. Their phones are charging."

She picked up the note and read it aloud once Aasha and Deke joined her in the kitchen. "Hey fam, we gettin a wok? I think he meant taking a walk. Be back soon, love Liho."

"So, what shall we do until they return then?" Aasha asked, not really wanting to just sit and watch television. "Perhaps have a lie on the beach?"

"I'm down." Deke said. "Babs, you interested?" he asked his love. She looked thoughtful for a moment, and then got a grin on her face.

"Yes, but I need sunscreen." She said, and why she had that devilish look on her face was beyond either of the two with her.

Her reason was a good one though. Barbara grabbed her beach bag and brought it into the kitchen, and produced a bottle of sunscreen, handing it to Deke, before slipping out of her clothes. All of them. She purposefully kept her back to Aasha, since the girl hadn't seen her new decorations. "Well, can you two help a girl out?"

It was, upon evaluation, a wonderful idea. Barbara relaxed and cooed into their touch, both their sets of hands rubbing the very high SPF lotion into her skin. Her boy knew how to touch her too, and took advantage of his learned skill. Hawaii had been a great way to decompress, but a little more never hurt. Aasha's hands, while less practiced, were more enthusiastic.

Once she was nearly finished, she turned to face Aasha, who seemed to be enjoying her time, and waited until she noticed. The girl actually missed them until she took one of Barbara's breasts in her hand, more for fun than for applying sunscreen, and that's when her eyes flew open. "You got them pierced!" Aasha squeaked.

"I did." Barbara nodded. "I lost a bet with Artemisssss oh God Aasha, please don't do that." She said, her words trailing into a hiss when Aasha lightly tugged one of them, immediately flipping her switch back to full throttle. "I'm trying to be a good girl today thank you."

"Oh, well that's bollocks." Aasha said, taking her hands away but admiring the work. "I couldn't work the courage up to get that done. I still want my belly button pierced too, but it seems so scary."

"My nipples were more surprising than painful." Barbara said, finally pulling her bikini on. She'd picked up a new one on the way to get Aasha, this one being extremely strappy, almost like lingerie than a bathing suit, but she loved the way it sat on her body, and it was just substantial enough to protect her dignity, while still making her feel sexy. "I never got my belly button done because of the costume; I was worried it'd get infected."

"You know Ash," Deke said, peeling off his tank top. He'd worn nothing but trunks the whole time he'd been there, so he was ready in no time. "There's plenty of places here if you change your mind. The Polynesian culture has been practicing body piercing for a really long time, they've gotta know what they're doing by now."

"I may, depending on how much it costs." Aasha said, slipping out of her own clothes to change into her bathing suit. She wished she had the kind of courage Babs had. It was like nothing ever frightened her. She'd, in fact, seen Barbara terrified with worry before, but even that felt surreal and out of character for the woman. It just seemed like no matter what, she just owned a situation. Getting tattoos or piercings, wearing a bikini, fighting crime without powers, the list went on.

"Yeah, babe, Ash is staying with us for the week, so she can get hired on at one of the galleries in Gotham. Her old job wasn't cutting it for her anymore." Barbara said, sounding like it was just that simple. Again with that confidence, it was probably the biggest thing that Aasha found attractive about her.

"Okay, cool." Deke said, proving once again how simply flexible he was at what life threw at him. He stepped behind Aasha and gathered her hair, and accepted the elastic band from Barbara to tie it back. With her mane, help was going from nice to necessary in a hurry.

"So, beach?" Barbara asked, putting her sun hat and glasses on, taking in an eyeful from behind the tinted lenses. Her boy liked to say he was the luckiest person in the world, but Barbara quietly disagreed. At a moment's notice, either of them could, and would, see to her needs, be they emotional, sexual, or whatever else happened up. In short, she felt quite loved, and thoroughly appreciated it by returning that favor to them.

They wandered out and down the path towards where the water met the sand, and in short order, figured out what they were going to do with themselves. Knowing a sunburn was inevitable regardless, Barbara said to hell with it and got into the water, before quickly being joined by Deke and Aasha. They splashed and played for a while, just laughing and carrying on, and took a break to build a sandcastle, because reasons.

An hour or so later, Liho poked his head out the back door and saw them, motioning for Pacifica to look. Not one to be left out, Liho walked down the path, absently holding hands with the tall blonde girl from Atlantis, and hollered a greeting at them.


	9. Chapter 8

March 4th  
Luxembourg City  
0035 CET

"Come back Cinderella!" Sebastien called after the blonde. Young, handsome, and very rich, he'd never felt the need to chase a girl before, but this one had captivated him from moment one. The gala being held by LexCorp in honor of their newest European location served as their meeting place, and just like Cinderella, when the clock had struck midnight, she'd bolted, leaving him with only a kiss on the cheek.

Sebastien chased after the beautiful blonde in the blue dress, completely ditching his security detail, and the safety of the LexCorp building, in an effort to talk her into joining him in Saint Tropez for the week. Just like she wanted.

"Sebastien, no!" Maddie called out to him, standing near the Porsche she'd rented for the evening. "My life is dangerous!" she added, laying it on thick. Her pheromones had done a wonderful job of entrancing him, but she liked adding a touch of theatrics too. She could separate a businessman from a roll of hundreds with a quick sob story and a shake of her ass, and that was without powers. This guy had no chance.

"I don't care about that!" He argued, skidding to a stop in front of the cherry red sports car. "Nobody has ever made me feel like you have! You're a muse, Cinderella, and I must have you."

"That's funny." Maddie said, her demeanor shifting in an instant. "I was thinking the same thing about you."

Sebastien's lights went out quick when she struck him, and as far as she was concerned, she was barely hitting him at all. "Oh you poor thing, a little too much to drink I see." She said as she loaded him into her car. Several kilometers outside of Luxembourg City was a cabin she'd also rented, where she planned to interrogate the man. The Cult of Apokalips might have been crippled, but it wasn't dead yet, and she still needed answers. Braeden, her brother and a lieutenant in the organization, was cooling his heels in Belle Reve, and not doing a lot of talking.

"Hey! Get your hands off of him!" one of his security detail said, rushing towards her. The man was obviously Middle Eastern in appearance, with a sharp widow's peak. That he wasn't reaching for a firearm seemed foolish to Maddie, who simply turned, ready to feed him teeth too.

"You don't want this." Maddie said, using her words and pheromones first. A couple of years ago, she would have turned his lights out without a second thought, but, damn it all, she'd actually done a little bit of growing since then.

"No, little girl, you don't want this." The private security said, still several feet away from her. "Return him to me, and you won't get hurt."

"Not going to happen." Maddie said with a threatening glare. He was either gay, asexual, or deeply in love with someone else. No matter, she still had her fists, and she used them, launching herself forward into a shoulder tackle, meant to send the man flying so she had time to get away.

And, it sent him flying alright. The private contractor sailed off to skid several feet away, the brand new parking circle ripping through his nice suit, more than certainly giving him a bad case of road rash. Maddie didn't bother to look at him, instead opening the door to the car to get in. That's when she heard it.

" ** _Shazam_**!" he called out, and a bolt of lightning from the cloudless sky struck where he lay, leaving a flash and a curl of smoke at the point of impact.

"What the hell? I thought Captain Marvel was a kid." Maddie muttered, and realized her mistake when a black shape shot from the smoke and struck her at high speed, knocking her through the car door and into the side of a Rolls Royce.

"Shit, that's not Captain Marvel." She muttered, standing up in a now tattered dress, and removing her heels. Black Adam circled in the air and came around for another pass, flying towards her like a bolt of lightning himself, and again he struck her like a ton of bricks, sending the Rolls, well, rolling, and Maddie flying.

The hits hurt, there was no denying it. She wasn't about to lie there and take it though, it just wasn't how she operated at anything. "I'm still movin' asshole!" Maddie called out, catching Black Adam's attention. He, of course, swept around for another pass, expecting the third time to be the charm.

She was ready this time though, and waited for him. He moved impossibly fast, but she wasn't exactly slow either, so when he was within her reach, she sidestepped and leapt onto his back, wrapping her arm around his neck to lock in a choke hold. For a half a second, she was happy she'd chosen a sleeveless dress with a wide skirt. It made her look more princess-y than she would generally like, but it gave her plenty of opportunity to move.

Adam scowled as he tried breaking the female's grip. He didn't need to breathe, but she was annoying, and the knee shots she was driving into his kidneys actually hurt somewhat. She was locked in though, and hauling on him, as though trying to bear him to the ground. If that's what she wanted, he would happily give it to her.

"Shit." Maddie muttered as Black Adam turned straight up and flew into the sky. Reflexively, she tightened her grip on his neck harder, at this point, on a mortal person, such a grip would crush their throat and whatever bone it was under there that she wasn't supposed to break, but on him, it seemed to just piss him off more.

With a grace that his appearance would belie, Black Adam turned his climb into an arc, so that he was still facing the moon but flying down to the ground, at incredible speed. It would hurt, but it would also crush the impertinent female like an ant, leaving him sore but victorious.

Thinking, but not saying, that she was going to die, Maddie was desperate, so she let off of kneeing him in the back and began backpedaling her legs in the hopes that she could catch ground and alter their trajectory before she became a pancake (a pancake with killer tits, but a pancake all the same)

The fresh asphalt of the parking lot met her feet as she scrambled, and in that half an instant, she was able to push off, diverting his downward force. Capitalizing, she twisted her body, not caring if she broke his neck so long as she survived, and bore him to the ground, riding him into the dirt.

She rained punches on him as fast as she could, trying to pour as much punishment into him as possible in the hopes she could overwhelm him with raw trauma. Each strike brought new pain into her fists, as hitting the back of his skull was like punching metal. Actually, she'd been punching steel construction girders for training, and hitting him hurt worse. Whatever he was made out of, it was stern stuff, and it wasn't yielding, despite her hitting at full force and screaming like an Amazon as she delivered her fury.

It wouldn't last, however, as Black Adam rolled quickly, tossing her off, and then grabbing her by the hair of the head. "Can we talk about this?" She asked, before he drew back and punched her in her impertinent face, sending her flying once again to crash into a Lamborghini Huracán, leaving her imbedded in the side of the vehicle.

Adam turned to the red Porsche, to retrieve the man within, when he heard the groaning of metal behind him. His face twisted into a furious scowl as the female pushed off against the side of the car and came back to her feet. "If you think you're walking off, you're wrong." She said as blood poured from her nose and into her mouth, leaving her teeth stained red in the furious expression she wore.

Adam prepared himself the moment she grabbed the sports car, and when it came sailing through the air, he caught it as though a child might catch a ball. He went to return it to her, with the kind of force a man could offer, when he realized it was only a distraction.

Her fist met the underside of his jaw considerably harder than he'd expected, and he wasn't in a position to defend himself with the car over his head. Not relenting, she struck him several more times in the face with her elbows, and even grabbed him by the ears (the nerve!) to bring his head down so that she might smash his face into her knee.

Adam let the car drop behind him, crushing the front end of the Porsche, and retaliated, grabbing her arm and yanking violently, before spinning twice and sending her into the large stone sign that pronounced the building the property of Lex Luthor.

The sign cracked with a satisfying sound, and sparks from the lighting showered the female who had the nerve to lay hands on him. She'd left him the worse for wear though, as even in his Godly form one eye was swollen shut, and he could feel several shattered teeth. None of that mattered, however, so long as he could salvage Sebastien, to get answers to how he was shipping weapons into Khandaq. "Stay dead bitch!" he shouted before turning away.

A sudden explosion erupted behind his head, as though he'd been struck by a stone sledge with exceptional force. Staggered, and with a hand to the back of his head, he turned, and saw the female, still not dead, trying to get fully up to her feet. Her dress was in rags and did not cover her shame any longer, and one arm hung limp at her side.

No, it would not do. Snarling, Adam took three steps and leapt, flying towards her with a fist out, ready to end the bitch. Again, she sidestepped, and quickly brought her strength down against his outstretched arm, barring him at the elbow and forcing him to the ground. "I don't like you very much." She muttered as she rolled over him in an effort to break his arm.

He had one card left to play, as he could feel his body being worked in directions it was never meant to. " ** _Shazam_**!" he called out again, summoning the lightning from the sky, a trick he'd learned from his bitter rival. He would become Teth Adam, but she would become charred meat.

The lightning struck, and the tension on his arm immediately released as the female dropped, hopefully dead. The amount of abuse she'd offered showed much more on him as Teth Adam, as blood poured from his face as easily as it had hers, and he would be pissing blood from the multiple kidney shots she'd given him. Time would heal him though, so he rose back to his feet, again ready to have words with Sebastien Rousseau.

As Teth Adam, his senses were dulled in comparison to his alternate form, and the beating had left his bell quite seriously rung, so he never heard the bitch rise to her feet, and he had no time to respond when she stomped the inside of his knee, bringing him to the ground, and put another kick into his ribs to knock the wind out of him before locking in another choke hold, this one more than effective at making him pass out.

In tremendous pain, Maddie yanked at the stockings she wore, and wadded them up to shove in his mouth, before he could call the lightning again. "There are only three men on this planet that can call me bitch, and you _aren't_ one of them." She said, before squeezing one of her earrings.

"Hey uh, Watchtower, I've got a knocked out Black Adam down here, but I think I might be passing out soon, can someone come get him before he gets hostile again." She said, and struggled to maintain consciousness. Far away, at the entrance to the LexCorp building, she could begin to make out several armed guards gathering. She was just plain not in the mood to mess with them, not one bit.

"Watchtower has confirmed your location. Captain Atom and Green Lantern are dispatching. ETA is three minutes." Red Tornado said over the communicator built into her earring, leaving Maddie sold on having Fractal make all of her jewelry. He was not only amazing at concealing electronics, but he had an exceptionally tasteful eye for construction thereof.

"There's guards, can they hurry?" Maddie said, her world starting to grow even more blurry and dark. Adam had definitely given her a concussion, and every time he'd whipped her into something, she was sure another part of her broke.

Her answer came when a glowing yellow ankh appeared next to her, and Doctor Fate stepped out with Captain Atom and Green Lantern in tow. "This fast enough?" The Green Lantern asked; the really handsome one with the charming smile, not the really handsome one with the intense eyes. In the absurd way that a traumatized person notices odd details, Maddie clearly saw that he was pointedly looking her in the face, despite the bodice of her dress being ripped wide open, and her tits being right out there on display. She wasn't sure if she should be appreciative or offended.

A flash of green told her to be appreciative, as a hard light construct, well, hard being relative since it was a blanket, covered her to give her some modesty. Captain Atom busied himself by firing off a few warning blasts to keep the armed security from getting any more ballsy than they already had, and Doctor Fate affixed some kind of gag onto the guy that would become Black Adam's mouth, so that he would not, in fact, become Black Adam at an inconvenient moment.

"Red Porsche, there's a guy, a lead, worth investigating." Maddie said, feeling extremely sleepy, and having a hell of a time keeping herself awake. That green energy blanket was really comfortable and soft.

"Oh no, you stay awake." Hal said, bending down and picking her up. "Guys, get that suspect in the car, we gotta move. She needs medical help yesterday."

Fate lifted a hand, and the door to the Porsche ripped off, and the still unconscious Sebastien floated out and towards them. Captain Atom tossed him over his shoulder, and turned to duck into the teleportation ankh Fate had summoned. They'd get everything sorted in the Watchtower.


	10. Chapter 9

March 4th  
The Watchtower  
0135 Zulu

"…Superman didn't do that kind of damage to him." A female voice said, and a familiar one at that. Maddie tried cracking an eye open, but the intense pain was too much to bear just for haze and fog, with slight color.

"Superman didn't catch him surprised either." Another voice said, this one just as familiar, but male. "And we should probably stop talking about her like she's still unconscious."

Ignoring the pain, Maddie forced her eyes open, regretting it in an instant. The sight of Green Arrow and Black Canary standing over her wasn't worth the hurt. Every part of her screamed like she was on fire, breathing hurt, and her head was splitting. "Where'm I?" she muttered through a desert-dry mouth.

"The Watchtower. You were brought here after you called for help." Black Canary said in a soothing voice. "You took a pretty nasty beating you know."

"Gave one too." Maddie croaked, not sounding near as sassy as she would like. "Hurting." She added almost pitifully, hating to feel so powerless, but the truth was, she'd never in her life experienced pain like this. Being shot stung a little, her brother opening up on her was certainly unpleasant, and getting hit by Liho's fists or Deke's telekinetics could suck, but they were passing, temporal things. She'd never in her life needed so much as an aspirin, not even when she'd given birth.

"We couldn't get an IV in," Green Arrow said apologetically. "They just kept bending. We don't even carry anything that might help your physiology."

Maddie made a questioning noise at that, not sure at all what he meant. "Your non-human physiology." Green Arrow said patiently. "Green Lantern used his ring to scan you to check for internal damage. Godiva, were you not aware that you're only half-human?"

"No." Maddie muttered, feeling her heart begin to do backflips in her chest. Her heart rate monitor began mirroring the effect, her pulse and blood pressure rising to the surprise. Her mother wouldn't tell her about her real father; keeping that information secure until she passed, something Maddie didn't want happening any time soon, even though she knew it was a soon inevitability.

"You worry about resting and healing. Doctor Fate has some magic he'd like to work on you, and we've contacted your team. Mustang will want to help you as well." Canary said, resting her hand on Maddie's shoulder gently. "We can talk more when you're feeling more up to it." 

* * *

What felt like hours later, Maddie's infirmary room was invaded. Again cracking an eye open, she saw Mustang and Fractal standing in the doorway. "Where's the rest of the team?" she croaked, not entirely upset that Liho wasn't there. She'd missed her shot, and she'd own up to it like a big girl, but that didn't stop the pangs of jealousy from clawing at her.

[Still in Hawaii with Babs.] Deke said telepathically to help spare her voice while pulling a chair up next to Maddie's infirmary bed so he could take her hand. All of a sudden, the trippy body sensation began rippling through her.

[Little aggressive aren't you?] Maddie grumbled. While he'd acted nice enough, he'd given her no warning whatsoever before working his mojo. Usually, it built up gradually into her body going from alive to numb, but the waves were already hitting in a quick fashion.

[You can handle it.] Deke said reassuringly. It was true though, by her own words she was an unstoppable bitch. [I don't have to baby you.]

[Give a girl some foreplay next time? Did I interrupt you getting laid or something?] When his face took on a screwed up expression, she had her answer. [Shit, I did. Hey, bottom of my heart, you know I never like interrupting good sex. Was it just you two or did you drag Aasha's little ass in on it?]

[Jesus Mads! No, just Babs and I. I'm not mad though, you're legit fucked up, I had to get aggressive to get you out of the woods.] He replied honestly. [But I think you can be moved now.]

"Why'm I being moved?" Maddie asked out loud, her voice feeling a bit stronger, and her insides not quite so on fire.

"Better treatment options." Fractal said, and made a gesture out the door. Immediately, they were joined by the same Green Lantern who showed up to Luxembourg. Fractal got out of his way, and Mustang stumbled towards the door, his immediate and aggressive psychometabolic treatment of her having taken it out of him quickly.

"Where we going handsome?" Maddie asked, trying to be flirty, because really, how many people can say they flirted with the Green Lantern? She got a snicker from him at least, so there was that. With a pointed fist, he used his ring to take control of the bed with a green energy orderly.

Hal kept pace with her at the head of her bed, and glanced to look at her. "I had to scan you with my ring to see if you had any internal injuries. It was an invasion of your privacy, and I'm sorry." He said, with legitimate apology in his voice. Superheroes were, by definition, a private lot.

"Better than dead." Maddie said, her voice better, but not by a whole hell of a lot. "Green Arrow said you found something though."

"I did, and I'm not sure how to explain this with any brevity, so bear with me. There are hundreds of thousands of inhabited planets in this galaxy alone. Most of these people look nothing like us, or anyone else for that matter. Some, however, do. My ring's scan said you share genetic markers with the people of a planet known as Nishia." Hal explained as he wheeled her to the observation deck.

"I'm an alien?" Maddie asked, genuinely puzzled. She was born on Earth, there was video of it. She was in too much pain to try to figure the rest of the details out.

"Half of your ancestry is, yes. A trait that Nishia shares with a few other planets is a red sun. Do you understand what this means?" Hal asked, turning the corner with her. He didn't know how much she knew, or paid attention to. Certain members of the Justice League weren't too shy with their heritage.

"Not a bit." Maddie said, imminently grateful that the bed was hovering and not rolling. The bumps on the tiled floor would be miserable to her.

"You're about to." Hal said, slowing down to time things just right. Batman wasn't the only member of the League with a flair for the dramatic. He was just glad it was him on duty and not Jon. He would've just dropped the news and stood there like the grouch he was.

Once they turned into the observation room, Maddie was met with the sight of Earth's horizon. A red glow around the curve of the Earth erupted, and within seconds, that glow went from deep crimson to a bright yellow as the sun peeked around from the side of the planet, bathing that side of the Earth in warmth and light.

The instant these solar rays struck her, she began feeling invigorated, the pain lessening immediately. Strength began flooding her body, and a general sense of well-being began forming. Hal hadn't gotten her bed halfway to the windows before she sat up, slipped out of the bed, and walked towards the glass, like she was seeing the sun for the first time.

Maddie pressed her hands against the glass and leaned into it, mindless of her bare ass hanging out the back of her hospital gown. Her face was a mix of wonder and awe as the yellow radiation bombarded her cells, recharging and rejuvenating her.

"Krypton also had a red sun." Superman said slowly descending from above and behind her. "We called it Rao, and its radiation, and Earth's yellow sun, is responsible for my abilities, and apparently, yours."

The news was sinking in to Maddie as she tried to push through the transparent walls of the Watchtower. She would have pushed harder except for the quick tickling of her gown on her bare butt. Snapping a quick glance, she saw her teammates, Deke's hand outstretched in a gesture to give her a little dignity. For the moment, she ignored them and turned back to the sun. "I need to know where I come from." She said quietly.

"Green Lantern can fill you in. I'm needed in Metropolis, but, before I go, I'm glad to see you're up and moving. It always works for me." Superman said, and took off with a well-practiced ease, sailing towards the Zeta platform nearby.

It was a few more minutes before Maddie turned to really face her team. Aasha was holding a bundle in her arms that looked like clothing, and walked it up to her. "You look so much better already." She said, handing Maddie the bundle of what was, in fact, clothing, including her favorite bra. Love the girl's heart, she was too thoughtful sometimes.

"Way to put Black Adam down." Kristof said while clapping her on the shoulder. "Word is that he's not taken a beating like that in quite a while."

"I caught him with his pants down." Maddie said, turning to put her back to the window, and pulling away at her gown to expose her backside, trying to soak up more and more of the solar energy. It explained why she liked wearing so little in combat, if nothing else.

"One way or another, you nailed him." Deke added. "Doctor Fate's working him over right now. I wouldn't get on his radar though; everyone says he's got a long memory and a history of holding grudges."

"I'll put him down again." Maddie said with a shrug and false confidence. Fighting him had been terrifying from the moment he called down the lightning, and surviving him, well, she knew how Deke felt after Darkseid now.

"What were you doing tangling with him anyway, in Luxembourg at that?" Aasha asked, walking along now that Maddie was moving away from the window. The team followed with her as they crossed the observation deck.

"I didn't know he was there. I think he was guarding a lead I was chasing. Sebastien Rousseau, a money man that we missed when we hit the Cult of Apokalips. I uh, I wasn't finished with that whole situation yet." Maddie admitted, looking around for a place to change, more for the benefit of the League than her own team.

"Ladies is this way," Black Canary gestured, noticing Maddie's curious looks. "I can show you if you like."

"Thank you." Maddie said, and followed her, leaving her team to stand there on the observation deck, just looking out over the Earth. The planet rolled by peacefully, and all three of them were unable to keep their phones in their pockets, snapping pictures as it rolled on by.

"Look, there's Hawaii." Aasha said, pointing to the islands below them. She waved and smiled at the volcanic chain, despite being three thousand miles away. "Hello Liho, hello Babs, hello Pacifica." She said sweetly.

"They can't hear you." Kristof said, pooping all over the party.

"Maybe they can." Deke muttered, and stared directly into the island chain as it rolled past them. He pushed out with his thoughts, and tried tapping his love's mind, a signal from space that said hello.

March 3th  
The North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii  
1452 HAST

Sitting on the beach, reading a book, Barbara glanced up into the sky, for a moment not sure why. It was perfectly clear, with nothing at all up there. With a shrug, she placed a bookmark in between the pages, and slathered more sunscreen on herself.

"Hey sistah, Mads is awake." Liho said, walking up and taking a seat next to Barbara. "Deke say she doin' really good too."

"She went the distance with Black Adam, she can't be that good." Barbara said, though she was pleased to hear the girl was doing well all the same. She might be aggressive, and certainly seemed to enjoy hitting on her and Deke, but she'd never done anything fully untoward.

"No sistah, she good, up and walkin' and everything. Deke say she got something up with her, but he won't say what cause it not his place." Liho explained, feeling annoyed at not getting answers. He wanted to be there, but Aasha had taken him aside and explained a few things. He'd certainly noticed that Mads was treating him differently, but he hadn't known why until an hour or so ago. It left him feeling unsure about himself. He was really into Pacifica, who seemed really into him, but Mads had been into him too. It was nice, knowing a couple of girls wanted him, but he felt bad about the whole thing.

"So, why aren't you up there with the rest of your team?" Barbara asked, setting her book aside for a moment. Neil Gaiman wasn't going anywhere for a few minutes.

"Mads is still acting weird with me. I invited everyone down, so I'mma talk to her later, try to clear the air." Liho said glumly. A sad expression didn't benefit him at all, and it was killing Barbara on the inside to see him like that.

"You're making the right choice." Barbara said, putting a hand on his arm. "Do you want me and Aasha to run interference on Pacifica for you?"

Liho took on a thoughtful look for a minute while he gazed out over the ocean. "Yeah, but don't lie to her. She know me and Mads has history. Maybe just offer to keep her company or something if you want."

"I'd prefer that anyway Liho. I'd be happy to." Barbara replied, trying to will her stomach into silence. It was too late though, his enhanced hearing could have picked it up from Pearl Harbor, which reminded her that she wanted to see Pearl before they left the next day. Her dad would love to see pictures of the USS Arizona memorial, and the inside of the USS Missouri.

"You hungry huh? Your boy say he makin' dinner tonight on account of me givin' everyone a place to stay. Wanna go grocery with me and Pacifica to get everything?" Liho offered.

"Sure, that sounds like fun. I could stand to stop baking myself." Barbara said, glancing down at her arms. If she was very very lucky, she might be tanned for a day after this trip. She grabbed her book and her phone, and checked for any messages, not particularly happy that there weren't any from her boy.


	11. Chapter 10

March 3th  
The North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii  
1700 HAST

Liho's house was made for a man of his size, since, well, he kind of built it. Sure, he had help, but his hands touched every part of the materials that comprised his personal residence on the North Shore. He might have, if given the chance to go back in time, planned for large gatherings. The sheer amount of people here, his team, which included Pacifica now, and Babs, were more than his residence could handle, so the entire gathering had spilled out onto the small piece of beach he called his own.

Not quite late enough to light the torches, but beginning to get dark enough that the paler people didn't have to fear the sun, the Movers, and their honorary member, were all milling about, having fun in the sand and water.

"You seem pleased." Pacifica said, slipping easily beside Liho and taking hold of his arm. She held to him a moment before sliding under it to be closer to him. The look on his face, no longer glum, was one of quiet hope.

"I am." Liho answered simply. Every person out there had their own troubles and pains. Kristof lived with a mother who refused to accept he wanted to be a boy. Aasha was conceived as an experiment with plans to be used for something terrible. Deke's powers came at the cost of his mother's life. Maddie couldn't really ever be around her family, ever. Barbara even had her own, what with her mother removing herself from Babs' life without so much a glance back over her shoulder. There was a lot of pain these people were carrying, but for the moment, nobody could tell. "Everybody smiling."

"I have come to adore your outlook on the world Liho." Pacifica said, nuzzling into him. It was a trait she'd found somewhat alien, but when she'd seen Mustang and his betrothed do the same thing, and the simple comfort it brought, she felt it necessary to try. "Bee informed me that I will be joining her and Daeva after dinner so that you may speak with Madeline alone."

"Yeah, I got things I need to say, and stuff I gotta make right, yeah? Mads, she don't exactly play games, so if I say something wrong, there gonna be a fight I don't want, and you don't have any responsibility for, so when my sistah offer to keep you company long enough, I said please." Liho explained, pulling the woman close to him.

"I disagree with you Liho. I believe I do have responsibility, but I also have respect, and I will maintain my distance. The time will come quite soon, however, where we are forced to work together, so I will inform you now that if there must be a reckoning between she and I before we are able to work together, then I will not avoid it."

"Okay, I won't argue. I'm bummin' myself out again though. How about we talk about something else?" Liho asked, guiding Pacifica to one of the stone benches he'd added to the path.

"I would enjoy that. Tell me, aside of your troubles, how the rest of your day has been." Pacifica requested, still curled up into him.

"You been with me all day, so it been a good one." Liho replied, snickering at Kristof's attempts at trying to engineer a sandcastle instead of just building the thing like Aasha was trying to do. "Hungry now though."

"I believe Deke said he would be cooking. Perhaps you should remind him." Pacifica said, though she knew full well the response to that before even saying it. He was currently out in the water with his love, looking like the cover of a smutty novel.

"Later, gonna see if I still have an appetite after this. 'Scuse me please." Liho said, and stood up. He took in slow, measured breaths, gearing himself up, and walked over to Maddie, who was leaned against a palm tree and seemed to be relaxing. He hated interrupting her, but things needed said.

"Take a walk with me?" He asked her. For a moment, she didn't respond, so he assumed she was asleep. A second later, she stood up, and without a word, followed him down the beach. The walk felt artificially long, though they went a good distance away from everyone else. Liho heard Babs say she needed to handle something to Deke, who followed her into shore to (hopefully) start dinner.

"This is far enough." Maddie said abruptly, a hundred yards down the beach. "You want to talk about Pacifica, don't you?"

Liho nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"Let me save you the trouble Liho. I was busy playing games, and I wasn't paying attention to anyone's feelings, including my own. I was treating you like a plaything, and it didn't dawn on me until Themyscira that I actually felt something. You were wronged, so you went for something that felt right, and that wasn't me. I fucked up, and I waited too long, that's on me, and I'm a big girl, I can handle the consequences. I'm not mad at you, and I'm not mad at her. I just hope that nothing comes between you both. Does that about cover it?" Maddie said, her usual indifference not showing in her body language or speech.

"Yeah, I guess it does. You gonna carry weight?" Liho asked. She'd nailed it when she said she was treating him like a plaything, but he still worried. It was just how he was wired.

"Hell yes I am!" Maddie said, lashing out with words. She'd not looked at him during her explanation, but she was then, her makeup streaking at her eyes. "I'm going to carry weight for a long fucking while Liho! I've got to look in the mirror every morning and see the bitch who can't get her shit together long enough to actually _try_ to find something to hold onto. I've got to carry the weight of self-sabotage around until maybe, just _maybe_ I can actually think with my heart for once. So yes Liho, I will carry weight for a long time, but you didn't put it there. I did."

Thin rivulets of tears, muddied with her cosmetics ran trails down across her cheeks. She looked away and kicked sand into the water furiously, and then pushed against his arm. "I'll be fine, go, I'll be back shortly."

"I uh," Liho managed to spit out before Maddie turned her blue eyes on him, a fury born of pain etched within them.

"Go! Godamnit Liho leave me alone for a while!" She all but screamed. Knowing well enough to walk away, Liho did, the sound of her crying making him wish he'd never gotten his hearing enhanced. It also allowed him to pick up what she muttered. "It's all I fucking deserve."

Eyes were on him as he walked back to where his team was gathered. No, he was tired of that word. His family was there, waiting. Nobody said anything, but then again, nobody had to. Aasha and Kristof both had sympathetic looks on their faces, the former almost in tears herself. Babs put a hand on his shoulder as he walked past, giving a squeeze.

"Burgers are on the grill, sides are about out of the oven, and there's a Longboard with the lid off waiting for you by the cooler." Deke drawled; catching up to Liho once he'd strolled a bit away from the party. "You alright?"

"Yeah brah. I just wish it didn't have to go down like this, yeah?" Liho said, and before he could even reach for the offered beer, it floated into his hand. "Maybe tomorrow a brighter day for her."

"Hope so." Deke said, making a few gestures to handle the grill remotely. As a psychic, feeling the emotional states of people was remarkably easy, and it served to help him know when and how to talk to people about things. At a moment like this though, it was a curse.

"Now that I wreck everybody's night, I'mma go sit over here a while." Liho said, sipping at his beer.

He walked over to Pacifica, who'd been sitting and chattering with Babs and Aasha, and sat down with them. "Only problem with Hawaii. Ain't legal to have a bonfire on the beach. We could use one."

Aasha smiled gently and extended a closed hand. She spread her fingers open dramatically, and a small flame erupted in her palm, which she sat on the sand, where it continued to burn. It was easy to forget she could control all of the natural elements, due to her preference in manipulating weather and electricity.

"Will that do?" She asked, wanting very much to lean into Babs and ask to have her hair petted. But, she couldn't, not with everyone there. Staying the week in Gotham to try and land a job would give her plenty of opportunity though.

"That was remarkably efficient Aasha." Pacifica said in a sweet tone. "There are students at the Conservatory of Sorcery who have attended several years who still require more time to focus."

"Our sistah Aasha here, she a _very_ powerful sorceress. One time, she was in a bad mood because Aasha reasons, and there was a tidal wave we got called to in Guam. All she do was walk up on the beach, wave a hand and say, uh, something British to make it go away." Liho said, making the small Indian woman giggle.

"I told it to sod off, and I wasn't in a bad mood, I was just sleepy." Aasha protested. "And tidal wave is strong language to describe it as well. It was more like a large wave with delusions of grandeur."

"When you're sleepy, _I'm_ afraid of you," Barbara interjected. "I work for Batman, and I think you're crankier than he is if you haven't slept enough."

"Have you heard yourself when you're hungry? You or Liho for that matter. Fair warning to you Pacifica, if he hasn't eaten, Liho shouldn't be held responsible for the things he says, and it's best to just throw food at Bee from a distance when she gets, what's the word? Hangry?" Aasha said, giving back a little of what she'd taken.

"I am well aware of such behavior. Magic is exceptionally taxing. I have been told I might rival a school of sharks after a trying exercise. Oh, I believe Madeline has returned." Pacifica said with a nod down the beach. The lot of them looked her direction and saw the same thing. Her eyes were hidden behind her hair, dark with heavy blonde highlights and some pink strips throughout, but when the wind blew, it was clear her eyes were red from crying.

"Don't get up on my account." Maddie said, and plopped herself down against a palm tree. She drew her legs up to her chest and hugged them, and just stared out into the water. The Pacific was so named for the peaceful appearance it had in calm weather, and the irony of it was not lost on her.

[Hungry?] She heard in her mind. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she saw Deke walking out, several plates floating in front of him, and a folding table which was unfurling itself on its own accord was behind him.

She nodded, and waited, watching her teammate set up the table without moving so much as a finger to do it. "Food's done!" He announced once it was said and done, though everyone's attention was already on him.

The gathered friends and lovers mobbed the table. Maddie noticed that the usual good natured pushing and shoving wasn't there, replaced by a steady calm. That wouldn't do, not because she'd thrown herself a pity-party. "Scoot your cooch Bee." She announced, standing up and heading to the folding table, before nudging Barbara out of the way with a swing of her hip. She'd been around them long enough that she was getting the full treatment now, no two ways about it.

They filled their plates with a bit more abandon since they didn't need to tread eggshells around Mads, Aasha trying to slip away with a burger and a few small spoonfuls of things. She ate like a bird, on account of not being much bigger than one, which was a source of constant bedevilment to Liho. She wasn't slick enough to dodge him though, who blocked her path and tried to put a large scoop of macaroni salad on her plate.

"No thank you Liho." Aasha said, looking the mile up to see his face. "I swear I get enough to eat on my own."

"You gotta eat." Liho said almost pleadingly. There was no dissuading him from this path, no matter how hard she tried. "I worry about you not eatin'. I know Bee and Deke feed you in Gotham, but you not there too much."

Aasha hugged her giant brother. "Liho, I promise, I will get more if I'm still hungry."

"Pinkie swear?" He asked, offering a massive finger. She took it and shook it with a firm nod. It seemed to suit him just fine 

* * *

Hours later, everything was quiet. Liho and Pacifica were asleep in his room, Maddie and Kristof shared one of the guest beds, while Deke, Barbara, and Aasha shared the other. There'd of course been a glance from Maddie about that, though her heart wasn't in it to tease Aasha much, and she'd of course minded her tongue when Babs was present.

Comfortably nude in the bed, letting the tropical breeze blow over her skin, Barbara was at peace. She had her boy's arms around her, and Aasha was curled up against her, like a set of measuring spoons. Her boy and her girl were both asleep, leaving her feeling perfectly secure between them.

She wouldn't tell anyone this, but she enjoyed being wrapped up and held. She was tough as nails, but feeling loved and protected was a near universal pleasure. Of course, being able to love and protect was also pretty nice, and at the moment, she had both of those things. When mixed with the gentle rain falling, it left her awake in a perfect way, just able to enjoy the quiet zen of the moment.

At least, until her phone started vibrating. With a sigh, she pondered how to exfiltrate herself from the grasp of her lovers, and finally just sat up with an easy, liquid grace. Aasha snorted in offense and scooted herself closer to Deke, which made Barbara snicker quietly, before she was finally able to get to her phone.

"Good morning daddy." Barbara said quietly but pleasantly. It was eight in the morning in Gotham, about the time her father was sitting down to read the night shift's blotter. "What's up?"

It wasn't a noise that woke Deke, but the sudden and intense shift in emotions from Barbara that snapped him from his slumber. He sat up and waited patiently on his love, who was sitting on the edge of the low bed, on her phone.

"Oh my God is she okay?" Barbara asked, a bitter, icy chill running down her limbs. Subconsciously, she grasped at the bedsheets to cover herself. "Yeah, I'll be there in a couple of hours. I will be, I promise. I love you too Daddy. Bye."

"What's wrong?" Deke asked as he watched Barbara come to her feet in a single sinuous motion. Her emotional state had gone from dread to pure ice. He wasn't talking to Barbara, he was talking to Batgirl.

"Bette was assaulted last night. I need to get back to Gotham now." She said, pulling underwear on quickly and efficiently. That's all she needed to say. With a flick and a gesture from Deke the clothing she wanted fell easily into her lap, while he himself stood up and pulled a pair of jeans on.

"Aasha." Barbara said, leaning around and shaking the small woman. "Aasha, we have to leave, it's an emergency. Deke's leaving you his key to the apartment; call us if you need help when you get to Gotham."

"Is everything okay?" Aasha asked with a yawn, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "Shall I dress as well?"

"No, you get some sleep." Barbara said, pulling on her clothes quickly. "I'll explain later, just tell everyone we had to go early."


	12. Chapter 11

March 4th  
Gotham City  
0925 EST

When Barbara walked towards Bette's room in the ER, and saw a pair of uniforms standing outside of her door, she didn't know what to feel. Her training had told her to remain calm, and she certainly was, at least on the outside. She didn't know how extensive her best friend's injuries were, she didn't know what her dad had meant by assault either. Was it physical assault, or sexual? They'd both attended the orientation seminars about how to avoid it, and she'd given Bette a can of pepper spray the first day of their junior year of high school.

"Miss Gordon." One of the uniforms said with a polite nod. "Detective Montoya is interviewing her now, she should be finished soon. We gotta ask you and your boyfriend there to wait until she leaves though."

Barbara nodded and took her boy's hand, grasping it tightly. [Can you peek in and see how bad she is?] Barbara asked, pushing her thoughts out towards him, her fear and concern riding on her thoughts.

Deke nodded and relaxed a moment, having to shunt away the restrained, but still very intense, feelings coming off of Barbara. She hated the place, the smells, the sights, the sounds, all of it, and frankly, he wasn't the biggest fan either. He'd just watched Maddie deal with it, and Bette didn't have the good fortune to have an alien parent.

[See for yourself.] He said cryptically, Detective Montoya leaving the room at that exact moment. She gave a short greeting to Barbara and slipped past, a focused look on her face.

Frowning, Barbara leaned into Bette's room to see her friend casually buttoning her shirt up. Her bottom lip was split, and she had some small bandages keeping a few minor cuts closed, some abrasions on her face and forearms, plus a wrapped up right hand. Not the look Barbara expected to see. "Bette!" She said, relived it wasn't any worse.

"Babs!" Bette replied. She stood up gingerly and stepped towards her friend, wrapping her up in a hug. "I'm okay, really I am."

"Do you know who did it?" Barbara asked, noticing the silhouettes of the uniformed officers shrinking away as they left. "And, what happened?"

Bette sighed, not particularly wanting to recount the situation for the thousandth time. "I was heading back to the sorority house. Okay, I was doing the walk of shame, alright? Don't look at me like that. Anyway, I was almost to Greek row when I saw a twenty laying on the sidewalk. When I bent down to pick it up, I got yanked into the alley. I managed to fight them off before anything happened, but I don't know who they were." Bette explained, digging through her purse for a brush.

"That's terrible. Where'd it happen? I want to know where to avoid until these people are caught." Barbara asked, watching her friend go through the motions, her mind analyzing every little detail, trying to begin a profile.

Again, Bette sighed. "No, you don't. You want to know so you can track them down."

"What are you talking about Bette? I don't understand. My dad's the cop, not me." Barbara argued, not liking at all where things looked like they were heading.

"Babs, I've known you for years. It wasn't hard to put two and two together. I saw your interview on the news, all ten seconds of it, that Fourth of July. You might change your voice, but you never changed your speech patterns. That was the final confirmation." Bette said, reminding Barbara that, for all the glitz and glam that Bette loved, she was still a communications major, and a damn good one too.

"You play like the ultra-conservative librarian, but you missed the Olympics by a tenth of a point in national qualifiers when we were fifteen and you weren't even trying. You're smarter than any other three people I know. And, I remember that night we went out clubbing for my birthday, when that guy got handsy with you, you made it look clumsy, but you put him in a wrist lock so fast his eyes bulged out."

"And then there's you and Dick. I'm sorry for hiding it, but we had a thing for a while. He used to sneak out in the middle of the night, just like you did, and the next day? Oh, clumsy me, I tripped. Or, wouldn't you believe it, I ran into a telephone pole when I wasn't looking. Yeah, you _both_ gave me that excuse Babs. _The same day._ I felt left out Babs."

"She's got you dead to rights babe." Deke said, slipping into the small room and placing a hand on the small of his love's back, both to comfort and steady her. "She's not telling you that she's been training since the beginning of our sophomore year though."

"How did you know that?" Bette asked, her eyes narrowing to daggers. "I never told anyone."

"We all have secrets." Deke said with a shrug.

"And you never told me?" Barbara hissed, scowling at her boy. "You never thought to mention she was onto me, or Dick? Or that she decided she wanted to see how a cape felt? Or, and maybe I'm just being a little irrational here, how much thought you gave into outing yourself?"

"Her secret wasn't mine to tell. Mine is. She kept yours too." He said, ready to accept his position on the couch that week. Sometimes the punishment's worth the crime, he firmly believed this was one of those moments.

"Yeah, you did." Barbara said, pulling up a chair. "Why didn't you say anything?" she asked, her expression somewhat softened.

"I figured you'd tell me when you were ready, or not. I thought it might be fun to surprise you too." Bette said with a small shrug. "So, surprise." She added with a wan smile.

"My ducks are _not_ in a row right now." Barbara grumbled. One of the first things Bruce had taught her was, the moment you think you've got it all figured out, that's when it's time to step back and look again. She hadn't in a while, not where Bette was concerned. She'd let herself get drawn into the identity the girl had wrapped around herself, and when that thought hit her, Barbara realized the brilliance of it all.

"You and me, we need to talk somewhere private." Barbara said to Bette, and then turned to look at her boy. "And I'm mad at you right now."

"Yep." Deke drawled casually. There was absolutely no doubt about that.

"Hang on." Bette said, interrupting a potential ass-reaming she didn't want to be present for, nor did she think was that particularly deserved. She could wait for a few answers, but she needed some immediately. "How did you know exactly?"

"You think loud. Everyone thinks loud, with a few exceptions. It's not your fault." He said casually. "But, if you'd been all gung-ho to try and take on Gotham, I would have told her. There's brave and there's stupid. I worked that out for myself."

"Don't think quoting Malcolm Reynolds is going to get you in my good graces." Barbara reminded him tartly.

"Never dreamed of it." Deke said casually. "So, yeah, psychic." He said to Bette, still in that calm, casual tone. He knew what was coming next, and he didn't need to read minds to know it either.

"So, all those times I? Or when I would?" Bette asked, unable to properly finish her sentences.

"If you're testin' me, it ain't worth trying right now. But, sometimes, yeah, you were loud. I never took it personally though, even when Babs told you we were engaged." Deke said pointedly. Bette had made no illusions about how she believed in her heart of hearts that Barbara and Dick were destined for each other. Even when she was sleeping with him, she felt like she was stealing him from Barbara.

"I'm sorry." Bette said, realizing that, while she was entitled to her own opinion, her opinion could get downright bitchy and judgmental when she wasn't looking. "And Barb, I'm sorry to you too. I meant it though, you inspired me. I want to be you. You're unstoppable."

"No, I'm not." Barbara said quietly, the memory of every cut, and bruise, and gunshot reminding her that she was all too human. "But we'll talk later. Someone's got to go pick up a friend of ours soon, we'll have time then." 

* * *

Aasha stepped out of the telephone booth and glanced around nervously. Gotham quite literally terrified her, what with people like the Joker, and Two-Face running around, and the crime rate still well above national average, despite the dramatic shift lower in recent years.

With a squeak that was supposed to be a self-confident clearing of her throat, she stepped out on high alert, and began walking down the alleyway, each footstep on the chilly, wet pavement echoing ominously.

"This is the safest part of the city you know." A familiar voice said as she reached the end of the alley, overlooking rows of tenement housing and small family run shops. It certainly didn't _look_ like the safest place in Gotham.

"How is this neighborhood the safest?" Aasha said, releasing her mental grip on the weather.

"It's near where Batman first started his crusade. The residents here started banding together. What started as an attempt at positive change took off, so now, you could walk down the street at three in the morning, bare naked, and the worst thing a person would do is offer you something to wear." Deke explained. "A few neighborhoods are like that now. I love little San Juan personally."

"I never knew that." Aasha said, wrapping herself around Deke's arm in a hug, trying to dispel her apparently unfounded fear of the city. With others, she was perfectly okay, and in costume, she was downright confident, but just little Aasha in the big city? Terrified.

The graffiti here wasn't gang related though, it was legitimate art, with murals covering the sides of several buildings. The people she took for gang members were just families, conversing about the day and going on with their lives. The small shops she assumed were fronts for drug sales were just little, what did Deke call them? Bodegas? How she'd never bothered to really look before was a shame, making her feel even smaller than usual.

"Hey Mister Jenkins!" Deke called out, waving to an elderly gentleman. "How's your back treating you?"

"Better now son!" The old man said with an easy kindness. "You tell that Doc I said thank you for those pills! They work a charm!"

"Absolutely Mister Jenkins, but she's going to want some zucchini from your roof garden this spring." Deke replied, walking Aasha across the street so he could properly converse with the old man. "Mister Jenkins, this is my friend Aasha, she and I do some freelancing together."

"A pleasure to meet you, young lady." The old gentleman said, offering a hand. When Aasha took it, he kissed it like a classic gentleman, which drew a small giggle and blush from her.

"Aasha, Mister Jenkins used to play studio back in the heyday of Motown. One of the best guitarists I've ever met, hands down." Deke said, feeling her grip on his arm lessen as she grew more comfortable.

"That's very interesting. I'm afraid I don't know anything about Motown though." Aasha said a bit dejectedly. "Was it fun?"

"Was? Young lady, it still is. You make the big man here play you a few records and introduce your properly." Mister Jenkins said. "Now I gotta go inside, it's still a bit chilly for me. You two be careful out there."

"Yessir." Deke said, and led Aasha further down the street.

"You did that on purpose." Aasha accused, poking him in the ribs, a trait she'd picked up from Barbara. There were days it was like two of the same person.

"I did, but you don't have a death grip on my arm any more either." Deke said with a sly look. Aasha looked down and noticed she had, in fact, released his arm, and was walking along blithely. "So, yeah, but worth it." He said. "Plus, I wanted to check on Mister Jenkins anyway. He was a regular of ours at the clinic. Doc Thompkins used to pull her hair out by the roots trying to find something that'd work on his arthritis without doping him, and turned him onto a trial medication."

"He seems quite hale." Aasha said, remembering the firm but gentle grip he'd taken with her hand. "I imagine the medication is working."

"Looks that way. I took a peek on him too and things look good. I need to tell La Jefa about it tonight." He said as they continued walking towards the train station.

"Oh, you work tonight?" Aasha asked. "So it'll just be me and Babs all evening then?"

"Yep. Try not to have too much fun without me." He said, hiding the down feeling he had. He hated it when she was mad at him, not because she was mean or anything, instead because it made a coldness between them. He refused to back down though, which was probably going to make this a big one when they finally got around to proverbially slugging it out. He firmly believed that Bette deserved her own chance, and a right to privacy, no matter how much she firmly believed that he was wrong for Babs and way out of her league. 

* * *

An hour or so later, Deke and Aasha walked into the apartment building. Fortuitously, Bette was coming down the stairs at about the same time. She stopped for a moment and looked at the two of them, the feeling of confusion emanating from her powerfully, but it stopped suddenly with a wave of dawning realization. "Deke, I owe you a conversation and a coffee, but for now, thank you." She said with a nod. "And, hello Aasha, isn't it?"

"Sure, no problem Bette, you're welcome." Deke said curiously. He had no earthly idea why she owed him any of that, or felt the need to thank him, unless keeping shush about her secret to his own detriment was a bigger deal to her than he originally realized. "Be safe out there."

"Oh yeah." She said, zipping up her hoodie, yellow, orange, and red in a flame pattern that looked pretty cool on her. "I'm good."

"Nice to see you too!" Aasha called after the girl. "That was peculiar."

"It's gonna get weirder." Deke said cryptically.


	13. Chapter 12

March 4th  
Gotham City  
1215 EST

Aasha followed Deke into the apartment, and the first thing she saw was Barbara, sitting in one of the two single occupancy chairs, looking like absolute hell. She sniffled and looked up at them as they entered, her eyes almost as red as her hair.

"Is everything okay?" Aasha asked, dropping her bag to check on her girlfriend, who she loved dearly but was still afraid to really say out loud.

Barbara nodded and wiped at her eyes. "Yeah Ash, it's okay. Uhm, Deke and I need to go into the other room and have some time alone."

"Oh, is this good alone time, or bad alone time?" Aasha asked, not sure if she should be getting undressed, or digging out headphones.

"Both." Barbara said, standing up, and walking over to their guest, who she wrapped up in a hug, before planting a kiss on her lips. "I'm sorry I have to shut you out for this, but it's related to someone's privacy."

"Oh, say no more. How about I begin working on my résumé , shall I?" Aasha said, going back for her bag to fish her laptop out. When Barbara nodded and took Deke by the hand into the bedroom, Aasha was able to release the very tight grip she had on her emotions. She was worried to death about what was going on, and while Babs had said it had to do with someone else, she couldn't shake the feeling that she and Deke were fighting about something.

Once in the bedroom, Barbara shut the door behind them and stood up on tiptoes to look her boy directly in the face. "I'm still mad at you, but not as much. Let's get this over with, okay?"

"The usual?" He asked her.

"Yeah. I have better things to do than be pissed off." Barbara said, all but tugging him into the bed. They rarely fought over anything besides food, but when they did, it was readily apparent that they were both extremely stubborn people who refused to let things go. So, in a stroke of inspiration after he'd been particularly difficult, she'd seduced him into the bedroom and asked him to link with her, so they could have it out quickly and honestly. It had worked beautifully, and since then, it still continued to.

Deke nodded and kicked his boots off, before sitting across from her on the bed. They took each other's hands, and relaxed into the familiar feeling of their minds tying themselves together.

The landscape changed from their bedroom, a place of warmth, love, and comfort, to a rocky, jagged peak. Lightning flashed around them in the black and red sky as they stood before one another, bared nude to the soul.

"I was mad at you because you wouldn't tell me my best friend was planning on trying to be a vigilante. Now, I'm mad because you kept things from me." Barbara said, her mental voice distilling her feelings to the most pure and refined version of what had made her so upset. "You hurt my feelings."

Another stroke of lightning, the flash of it blinding. "I kept her secret because it was hers, and she deserved the same respect I give you. What if I'd told you?"

"I would have stopped her!" Barbara replied, the thunder finally catching up to the lightning. "She's going to get herself killed!" she added, the winds on the black mountain peak whipping up around them.

"Did you?" He retorted, a scragged and lifeless tree bending in the wind behind him. "Did you get killed?"

"I've come too close several times! I'm afraid for her, okay? She thinks I'm Wonder Woman, and nothing can hurt me, she thinks if she tries hard enough, she can't be hurt either!" Barbara all but screamed inside her head.

"Then do something about it!" Deke retorted. He didn't yell, he never _ever_ raised his voice to her. That didn't stop him from emphasizing his point though. "If she wants to be you, make her you. Train her. Give back, like you've always wanted. You use your words to write articles that make women feel better about themselves, to feel stronger, right? Empower your friend, don't hold her back!"

The wind slowed, but the storm still raged. "I would but you wouldn't tell me! I'll accept I was acting irrationally out of fear, but you still held back from me! Do you not trust me to make the right decision?"

"I trust you with everything, and you know it! But how I can I be trustworthy if I spill everyone's secrets? That was hers to tell, I was the unlucky asshole who happened to hear her thinking about it." Deke said, holding back a snapping tone. "I have to be better than that, and you know it!"

Another stroke of lightning, this one much brighter, and closer, with thunder immediately following, shaking the mountain they were standing on. "She's my only friend from before! She was there when Mom left us. She was there when Dad got shot in the line of duty. She's was there for the first day of every school year. I can't lose her!"

Even in an astral form, Barbara wiped at her eyes, but the wind had calmed to a breeze, and the clouds began parting. She'd finally distilled why she was angry, finally admitted it to herself. "I love you, but I love her too. She was family when it was just me and dad, and she's only really got me anymore. I can't let her take stupid risks."

Deke stepped towards her, waiting for the sky to darken again, deciding it was worth the risk. He had to balance her feelings, and take them into account, but also emphasize his point about Bette, in that it was her life to live the way she wanted. "Make her better, make her awesome. She's going to do it anyway, but with your help, she can do it right."

Barbara let him approach, and stepped closer as well, their astral forms close to entangling themselves even further. "So you kept her secret because, well, you'd know, even if she never found out it was you who'd ratted her out? And that, after knowing she doesn't like you with me?"

Deke nodded. "I stopped hating what I saw in the mirror a few years ago. I don't want a reason to start again. I want to be worthy of you, even if it means pissing you off, as back asswards as that sounds."

"Be worthy of yourself, my lovely, just like you're doing. I have to come to grips with this, and I will, eventually." Barbara said, sunlight starting to peek through the clouds. The stones beneath their feet, jagged and sharp, turned to smooth river stones as she calmed down. "I was mad because I was scared. I used you because you gave me an easy out."

"It's okay. If I'd told you when I first found out, you would have been mad at me for violating trust. I was going to lose either way, so I decided to lose on the moral high ground." Deke replied with a psychic shrug.

"So, no resentment over this you need to get off your chest?" Barbara asked. "Now's the time."

Deke sighed, and took a seat in the empty air. "I'm good now. You know why I was so stubborn about it, and I outed myself because she would have figured it out eventually. I don't patrol Gotham much, but I _do_ help pick up the slack when I can. One day we would have ran into each other, and she would've put two and two together. She figured you out, after all."

"She did, and that's also got me upset. If she goes out too soon and gets nabbed, she could be made to tell things. That's scary, because once someone has a starting point, tracking Bruce through me, Dick, Damien, and Tim becomes a lot easier. I don't want to be the weak link at anything." Barbara explained, also taking a seat in the air. Since she couldn't do it in the real world, her brain didn't process that she could in an astral sense, so every time he did something like that, she had to remember she could too. In here, in the entangled space between their thoughts, she was on equal footing with him.

"No love, she can't." Deke said shamefacedly. "And you might get pissed off at me again for this, but I brain locked her."

"You what?" Barbara asked; the sky beginning to cloud again.

"I locked her brain from being able to admit who you are. She can and does know it, but she can't make herself form the words, and when she tries to picture you as Batgirl, her brain jumbles the image. I refuse to make her forget completely, and I feel like shit for even locking it down, but I had a feeling she might go out before she was ready, so I decided to protect the knowledge." Deke explained, the stone mountain beneath them beginning to almost waver.

"I hate saying this phrase, but, I don't understand. She can't be forced to say I'm Batgirl? Nothing can make her?" Barbara said, more confused than angry. "But, she knows my secret?"

"Yeah, she knows it. Remember when she was beating around the bush in the hospital room, using a lot of innuendo and side speak? She couldn't make herself tell you not to go Batgirl on the Twenty Dollar muggers. Since the knowledge isn't locked, it's just shy, I guess, not even someone like M'gann or Psymon could yank it out of her, they'd see the same thing she does, a jumble."

"I didn't know you could do that." Barbara said, suddenly worried about what else he wasn't telling her. "Is this new?"

Deke shook his head. "No, it's an older trick. I just, under almost any situation, refuse to use it. I hate controlling people, I think it's sick, and fucked up."

"You kiss me with that mouth." Barbara admonished, but in the fusion of their headspaces, she understood the deep and profound distaste he had for puppeting people. "I hate to say it, but leave it for now. Explain to her why you did it, and I bet she'd be okay with it, but yeah, keep it until she's got her feet under her."

"So, you're gonna train her?" Deke asked, scrubbing away the mountain and putting them in a green meadow. It was much more tranquil and open.

"I am. You're right, I shouldn't hold her back, of all people. Just, in the future, maybe find a better time and place to spring things on me. You know me well enough to understand my timing." Barbara requested, coming onto her feet and approaching her boy, finally giving their astral forms contact.

"I promise." Deke said, pushing into her. They remained that way for several minutes, just enmeshed within one another, sharing the tiny fleeting thoughts and all the little emotions that crossed their hearts and minds.

Sitting outside the room, Aasha was busy going over her résumé and doing some searches on the galleries in Gotham, when the door opened. She pulled her headphones out with a worried expression, not sure how productive their meeting was. "So, all is well here?"

"Yes Aasha, all is well." Barbara said, heading to the kitchenette. "We got it worked out."

"Then why aren't you having makeup sex? Isn't that a thing?" Aasha asked; she was certain that when couples fought, they were supposed to make up by sleeping with one another. That couldn't be something that Hollywood made up.

"Yeah, it's a thing, and we will." Barbara said, making a salad for lunch. "But right now, we need to make sure your résumé is in order. Are you hungry?"

"Don't worry about my résumé, ditch your knickers girl!" Aasha all but ordered. She'd wanted to get a little 'quality time' in while they were in Honolulu, but hadn't gotten the chance to.

"Damn Ash, we will, I promise." Barbara said, not sure where this particular attitude of hers was coming from. When Aasha wanted something, she could easily rival her in terms of insistence. "I'd kind of like something to eat first though."

"Oh, that's excusable." Aasha said, going back to her laptop. "Do any of these galleries accept unsolicited sales? I have a few pieces I don't want to hold onto. If they sold it would definitely help out."

Barbara considered that while getting lunch in order. "The Rooftop gallery might, they take in art all the time, but they're all about local artists. You might try it though."

Aasha pondered that and plugged at her education history. There were a dozen pieces sitting in her living room that she was willing to part with, but she wasn't necessarily certain they'd be good enough to hang anywhere.

Sitting quietly, having nothing of value to offer, Deke just listened to the two women chatter. He dug his phone out of his pocket and was about to try for the eleventy billionth time to beat the stage he was stuck on in his jewel puzzle game, when he noticed he had a message from Kristof.

"I was called away to help with a construction task. Can you please keep an eye on the Hacienda?" it said. With a frown, Deke realized he'd been putting off his turn at the place so Kristof could get a break.

"So, it looks like I've got to go to the Hacienda." Deke said. When both of the girls' ears perked up, he elaborated. "Kris is handling some kind of building job, and I guess there's stuff going on."

"On a Sunday? They really want the work done huh?" Barbara said, stepping from around the kitchenette bar, carrying two bowls of salad. One of them she sat in Aasha's lap, the other she kept. "Do you know how long you'll be gone?"

Deke shook his head. "No idea, could be an hour, could be all night, it depends on when Kris wants to come back. He won't make me miss classes though. I guess if you're ditching knickers, it's without me, so, you two have fun if it gets to that."

Barbara giggled, and Aasha shook her head in the realization that she'd apparently coined a new phrase. Deke walked over and gave Aasha a smooch, and then planted one on Barbara. "I love you, have fun." He said, and glanced back to Ash. "Good luck on that résumé."

"I love you too, be careful." Barbara said, while Aasha tried to say thank you around a mouthful of salad. "We'll be here when you get back, or else we're showing Gotham who the women in charge here are."

"God help Gotham then." Deke said, tossing his jacket on. He had to get to the Hacienda, and quick. Kris had sent that message while he and Babs were still having their argument out.


	14. Chapter 13 (Λεμόνι)

March 4th  
Gotham City  
1520 EST

"So, now that he's gone, is everything really okay between you two?" Aasha asked, setting her laptop aside. She looked at Barbara, giving her big brown doe eyes. They worked well on her girlfriend, but Aasha didn't want to use them too often, saving them for things she found very important.

"Yes Ash, stop giving me the puppy dog eyes, we're good. I was angry, and he was stubborn, but we worked it out." Barbara said, patting the cushion next to her, encouraging Ash to slip in beside her. It took exactly that much convincing too. She slid in beside Barbara and curled up comfortably. "One day, I might be able to give you details."

"Okay." Aasha said sweetly. "Babs, something's been bothering me lately. I was going to wait until the end of the week in case things got weird, but it feels dishonest. You called me one of your loved ones, did you mean that?" She asked, feeling smaller than usual.

Barbara glanced down at her girlfriend and kissed her on top of the head. "Yes Aasha, we both love you and you know it." She said in a comforting tone. Aasha had horrible moments of being insecure, and she was having one now it looked like.

"So, I'm… I'm allowed to say it back?" She asked hopefully, looking up at Barbara with her doe eyes, unintentionally this time.

"You were afraid to say how you felt? You should know better than that. Yes, you are perfectly allowed to tell the people you love that you love them. Were you afraid I was going to get jealous or something?" Barbara asked.

Aasha nodded and chewed on her bottom lip, a sure sign she was nervous. "I did, but okay, I love you."

"I love you too Ash." Barbara said kindly. She did, there was no dishonesty in her statement at all. The girl had found the easy way into her heart, just being a kind, honest, and caring soul. In Gotham, a compassionate spirit was a priceless rarity.

"Oh yay!" Aasha squeaked. "I'm sorry I've been so insecure and flighty lately. I feel like I just can't get a handle on my life right now. Everything's in such turmoil."

"Well, that's what we're here for." Barbara said. "I promise we'll hit the Gotham art scene with a vengeance. I know somebody I can send your résumé to, who can go over it and offer some suggestions, totally free. You want me to email it to them?"

"Yes, that would be lovely, thank you." Aasha said, turning her head up for a kiss. Barbara obliged her, brushing her lips across Aasha's softly before planting a slow, sweet kiss on her. Aasha pushed into it, showing a little bit of aggression. She wanted Babs, badly. The way she brushed her lips with her own always worked on her.

Still happily obliging, Barbara let Aasha control the pace, turning her whole body into it for comfort. She giggled softly and began running her fingers through Aasha's thick mane of silky soft hair. "I don't guess I get to finish lunch?" she asked, not particularly caring if she did or not.

"If you want." Aasha said coquettishly, pulling a page from Barbara's book. If that's how Deke felt when she did it to him, then her use of it was dangerous, because she felt like putty in Aasha's hand the moment she batted her eyes and spoke up. She might be small and unassuming, but the girl knew how to be dirty when she wanted to.

"It can wait." Barbara said, leaning back into her girl. Aasha let her push her down until her back was on the sofa, letting Barbara take control. She responded by slipping a hand under Aasha's shirt, trailing her nails up the girl's abdomen, causing her to shiver and giggle. That turned to a stillness when Barbara placed her hand atop the girl's breast, causing her to murmur happily.

She latched back onto Aasha's lips, not quite ready to strip her lover down yet, instead kneading her breasts under her shirt like high schoolers. Aasha squirmed under her, and wrapped her arms around Barbara's neck, pulling her tighter in, taking deep breaths of her wildflower scent.

Barbara finally broke their kiss and began kissing and nibbling down Aasha's jaw, causing Aasha to bring her legs apart and wrap them around her hips. Her breathing at Barbara's treatment grew deeper and louder, turning into quaking exhales. "How do you know how to hit my buttons so well?" Aasha whimpered as the static low in her stomach began building towards the storm.

"I've had time to explore." Barbara said, nipping lightly at Aasha's earlobe. She hooked a finger into the cup of Aasha's bra and peeled it away from her breast, exposing her stiffening peaks. Goosebumps formed on the girl's skin and a mewling sound escaped her mouth as Barbara pinched at it lightly. Deciding to give back, Aasha leaned her head up and kissed at Barbara's neck, letting her teeth graze across her milky white skin. She arched her back and moaned when Aasha nipped her back, giving her a chance to slips her hands under Barbara's shirt. She grasped at Barbara's breasts, squeezing and kneading them like she'd had done to hers, though she waited to tease the girl's peaks.

"You like that?" Aasha asked, letting go of Barbara's hips with one leg before working it up between Barbara's, giving them both something to grind on. Barbara happily went with it, rubbing her denim and cotton clad sex against her lover's thigh, feeling that wonderfully torturous friction tease her.

"I do. I like it very much." Barbara said, grasping the hem of Aasha's sweatshirt and pulling it up, fighting the urge to tie the girl's wrists. She was positively horrified of being tied up, something she and Deke had learned the hard way, when they'd accidentally made her cry on her own birthday.

Once off with the offending garment, Barbara took the time to appreciate her lover. Smooth, perfect skin, flat stomach, a little flare to her hips, and small adorable breasts; how anyone could look past her was an affront to nature. She smiled hungrily at Aasha, and peeled her own shirt off, leaving them both in their bras. If there was a competition between them, Aasha would have won it, her modest breasts covered and supported by a lacy red number, while Barbara was in a comfortable nude brassiere that left it all to the imagination.

"These are in the way." Aasha said, slipping her arms around Barbara's back and unhooking her bra, letting her beautiful breasts loose to breathe. The black metal ornaments in her small nipples stood out in perfect contrast to her pale skin, making her look naughtier than she might otherwise come off.

"Yes they are." Barbara replied, and ever the detective, she slipped a hand up Aasha's stomach and worked her finger behind the clasp of her own lacy red bra, before making a deft gesture, causing the garment to split as intended. Front clasps were a nightmare for boys, so she'd read, but knowing they existed meant she knew to look for them.

"Wear this for Deke's birthday fun, I want to see how long it takes him to figure it out." Barbara said wickedly, before leaning down and taking one of Aasha's nipples in her mouth, sucking and nibbling on it aggressively, but not too firmly.

Aasha clutched Barbara's head to her breast and began grinding her leg into the other girl's sex, trying to turn her further on. "That feels so good." She cooed, encouraging Barbara's ego, even as she gripped her other breast, squeezing it and pinching at her own nipple.

Barbara followed suit with her girl and began making a stroking motion with the leg between Aasha's. She wanted to yank the girl's jeans and panties off right then and there, but she waited, letting Aasha make the next move.

Aasha did, surprisingly so, by wrapping her fingers in Barbara's hair and giving a firm tug. A sudden moan escaped Barbara's lips at the unusual treatment from her generally very sweet and submissive girlfriend. She couldn't help but giggle at the surprised and frightened look on Aasha's face, apparently not expecting it to do anything for the girl.

"Don't stop." Barbara cooed, her mouth open and her bottom lip looking pouty. Aasha took that as a cue, and crushed her lips into Barbara's again, this time nibbling and biting on her lips instead of kissing them, making the redhead squirm.

She teased at Barbara for a while, nipping and nibbling here and there, before scooting herself down a few inches and tugging on her nipple rings. As expected, Barbara hissed in pleasurable pain, the sting mixing with the highly enjoyable feeling. "So, I apparently have a new on-switch." Barbara said, her voice husky from arousal. "They're healed, by the way."

"Oh good." Aasha said, and used her lips to tickle and tease Barbara's stiff peaks, before flicking her exceptionally long tongue up against them, using the tip of it to fiddle with the jewelry.

That was it, she was finished playing games. Barbara reached down between them and unsnapped Aasha's jeans, and tugged her zipper down, before sliding a hand down beneath the girl's panties. She mewled approvingly as Barbara stroked her very wet slit, the girl's petals swollen from friction and arousal.

Aasha relaxed, letting Barbara take the driver's seat. She shut her eyes and smiled as Barbara teased her entrance, loving the way her very nimble fingers worked across her petals. To make it easier, Aasha pushed down on the waistband of her jeans so that Barbara had some more room to operate comfortably.

Barbara smirked at the matched set of underwear Aasha had worn. Red lace, thong panties and demi-cup bra, it was all evidence the girl had naughty activities on her mind. She ceased her teasing long enough to help the girl out of her jeans at least, before going back to it, flickering her fingertips and enjoying the tactile sensation.

Before Aasha could get too used to it though, Barbara brought her fingertip up higher, and began massaging the girl's button. Slick from Aasha's dew, she worked the girl's sex like she was scrolling a mouse wheel, her finger working in an almost undulating manner. It had the effect she was looking for, causing Aasha's back to arch and a loud, long moan to emerge from her mouth.

"Somebody likes that." Barbara said with a smug sense of satisfaction. She loved having playtime with Aasha. It allowed her to see to the core of the girl, to understand her like nobody else but her boy understood her; perhaps even deeper, since they shared more than just a lover. Both women, both heroes, both possessing a more powerful sense of sexuality than they let on, it was an honest expression for the both of them.

"Yes, somebody does." Aasha said urgently, as Barbara's attention had caused the storm brewing within her to grow in power. She began rotating her hips, trying to find the right spot, and when she did, and her hips went from rotating to bucking, Barbara knew the moment wasn't far behind.

She had to kiss Aasha to shut her up, before she disturbed the neighbors. Where she tended to bite her lip and try to control herself, in recent times, Aasha had begun to allow herself to fully let loose. She wasn't near as loud as Barbara, but she could be just as vocal, a full palette of beautifully erotic sounds available to her to illustrate her pleasure.

As Aasha bucked her hips, Barbara crooked her finger and slipped it into Aasha's tiny opening. In the midst of climax, her grip was tight enough to give even Barbara's slender finger some trouble, but she worked her way in smoothly and steadily, aided by Aasha's arousal. "What are you doooooooooh my God! Don't stop!" Aasha squeaked as Barbara began stroking the upper part of her walls, applying firm pressure to the girl's G spot.

For Aasha, the full body orgasm that was rolling slowly across her was intense. "I'm coming!" She called out, turning her head into the couch cushion to muffle herself. Barbara kept at it with steady, even pressure, trying to let the girl sail on a while, and had a laugh about herself, wondering if that's how she looked.

Discontent to just wiggle her fingers, and very much wanting to taste her lover, Barbara leaned down and flicked her tongue across the front of Aasha's sex as she rode through her climax. Since she hadn't stopped, Barbara bit down on the waistband of Aasha's panties and tugged them down, before flittering the tip of her tongue lightly on the girl's button.

The very sudden and new sensation caused Aasha's back to arch hard, almost smacking Barbara in the face with her sex. Deciding it was probably too much, Barbara steadily slowed her fingertip down until she was barely touching the girl's spot at all.

Aasha laid there and twitched for a moment, a common reaction from her after a powerful orgasm. She sighed unhappily when Barbara withdrew her finger, but her eyes brightened when Babs began fellating her digit, sucking all of Aasha's dew. She leaned up and joined her redheaded lover, taking Barbara's hand forcefully and applying her own technique.

"That is so hot." Barbara muttered, her free hand absently trailing to her own sex. Aasha noticed this, and put her hands on Barbara's shoulders, pushing her down onto the sofa with a bewitching look on her face. "Is it my turn?" she asked, pleased to see Aasha nod.

Barbara aided her lover in removing her jeans, pulling her panties down with them. "No games." Aasha said once Barbara was bare to her, and trailed her tongue from the underside of Barbara's chin, between the valley of her breasts, down her sculpted abdomen, and through the narrow tuft of hair Barbara kept, before flicking her tongue straight on the girl's button.

So used to being in charge, Barbara was enjoying the more assertive approach Aasha took with her, the idea of being taken working its way into her head, stimulating her mind and body. When Aasha's tongue tapped on her most sensitive spot, she was well and ready for it, and began whimpering and cooing happily.

The differences in how Aasha and Deke pleased her were wildly different, but no less enjoyable. Deke was enthusiastic, and knew how to listen to her body, but Aasha had an artist's soul, and used her tongue on Barbara's sex like a painter on a canvas. Even acting aggressively, she took her time to use all the strokes at her disposal, long and slow, short and quick, light, and very hard.

Barbara couldn't help but gather a bunch of the girl's black hair as she feasted on her sex. The way she worked that tongue was magical, and when she added her lips to the mix it became even better. A fleeting thought crossed her mind, wondering if Aasha simply had an oral fixation. She absolutely loved giving Deke head in their playtimes, and she was a sucker for performing for Barbara too. It gave Barbara a really dirty idea, but the gossamer threads of her thoughts were trailing away quickly.

Aasha glanced up and batted her eyes at her moaning lover, before slipping her middle and ring fingers within Barbara's sex, making the girl squirm in delight. Barbara's hands went to her breasts, squeezing and pinching, as Aasha kept her mouth and hands busy. Since Barbara had tried something new with her, she felt it was only proper to be brave too, so with her free hand, she began stroking Barbara's button, while she dropped her tongue lower to flick about on her bum.

Both Deke and Babs liked toying with hers, and she dearly loved the way it felt, but she'd never mustered the courage before then. She was glad she had though, because the moment her tongue touched Barbara's bum, the girl hissed and gripped tighter on her breasts. "Oh damn Aasha!" Barbara yelped, releasing one of her breasts to grab a pillow.

Emboldened by hearing her name in that tone of voice, Aasha doubled down on her efforts, flittering and licking about, tossing in an occasional nip on Barbara's round cheeks. It was tricky to keep both hands and her mouth working independently, but she did the best she could, trying to focus more on the hand she was using to massage Barbara's button. She could hear her name through the pillow, and knew she was doing well.

The fire erupted in Barbara quickly, ripping through her hard and fast. She locked up in the moment, her body tensing while the muscles in her pelvis began contracting, each pulse driving her deeper and deeper into the throes of orgasm. Aasha kept her pace up, not relenting, loving how she could send her girl into multiples with almost no effort. Each time, Barbara's body locked up for a moment, and each time she got just a little bit louder.

Before she could suffocate herself with the pillow, Aasha backed off a little at a time, first withdrawing her fingers from inside her lover, then slowing to a stop on her button. She kept her tongue on Barbara's bum a bit longer, coaxing one last climax out of her before letting her rest.

"What has gotten into you?" Barbara asked with wide eyes, tossing the pillow aside without a lick of concern where it landed. She was struggling with her body, trying to get it to behave, and was honestly surprised she could get words out.

"I wanted some kind of control, with the way my life is going." Aasha said, licking her fingers clean of Barbara's sweet dew. "I know I can please you, so, I did. I didn't hear you complaining." She added, standing up and walking to the end of the couch where Barbara was resting her head.

"Oh, I'm not." Barbara replied breathlessly. She reached out and wrapped her arm around Aasha's bottom, pulling her closer. "I want a better taste." She explained, and helped Aasha into a kneeling position over her face. When the small woman acquiesced, her arm _so_ twisted by the invitation, Barbara began trailing her tongue up along Aasha's entrance.

"This is lovely." Aasha said, looking down to see Barbara's beautiful blue eyes from beneath her. The frenetic pace becoming slower was exactly what both girls needed, they'd both certainly experienced climax, this was just a wonderful cool-down.

Not that Barabra wasn't about to try to satisfy her lover anyway. She slipped her hands up Aasha's stomach to grasp her breasts, giving the girl something to lean into while she sat on her face. Within minutes, the stimulation on her sex and her small stiff peaks had Aasha moaning and whimpering quietly. She took hold of Barbara's hair again, this time not tugging, just holding on, and used her other hand to steady herself on the back of the couch.

Her climax hit quickly, but it was small and perfectly manageable. On wobbly legs, she rose and got off of Barbara's face, before plopping down on the couch. "That was, well, I needed that." Aasha said, breathing heavily. "I needed that quite badly. Thank you for being there."

"Don't thank me Aasha." Barbara said, licking her lips and sitting up. "I feel like I should be telling you where to leave your money, and I'm not so big on that."

"I didn't just mean the sex." Aasha replied. "Helping me with getting a new job, giving me a place to stay, being my friend, all of it. The sex was wonderful, don't get me wrong. It was just a small part of it all though."

Barbara scooted over and pulled Aasha into her side to snuggle with her. "Aasha, I told you, you are loved here. Speaking of, what's your middle name?" Barbara asked, switching gears on her in an instant.

"Kathryn." Aasha said, so surprised she didn't hesitate to answer. Not that she minded, she trusted Barbara implicitly, but there was an inevitable reaction she got every time she shared her middle name.

Barbara would be no exception. "Kathryn?" She asked, not expecting it.

"Were you expecting something like Parminder, or Jayshree, or perhaps Sonam or Aarti?" Aasha said, poking her girlfriend in the stomach. At Barbara's remorseful expression, Aasha shook her head with a smile. "My mother insisted I have a European name when they left for England, in case my classmates couldn't pronounce my first name, I could go by Kate or Katie. Why do you ask?"

"The wedding invitations." Barbara explained. "We don't have much done, but we _do_ have a guest list."


	15. Chapter 14

March 4th  
Destin Florida  
1435 CST

Deke wandered the Hacienda for a minute, not entirely sure what the hell to do with himself. He knew full well the girls were having themselves a wonderful time, which was different that how it usually went down. Either he got to watch, or he heard about it afterwards. Either was perfectly acceptable to him, but his balls felt particularly blue at the moment.

He did what any red blooded guy would do in his situation, but once that was over and done with, he still had some frustration to work out. The empty Hacienda was currently lacking the exercise equipment, that and much more was either packed into storage or had already been sold to help pay for the renovations.

They were coming along wonderfully though. He poked his head outside and saw the demolition crews working on the properties on either side of the original Hacienda. Shaking his head at the waste of effort (he could have leveled both places in a few minutes without anywhere near the mess, and Fractal could have done it even faster.), he changed clothes and left a note on the door that he was reachable by cell if any of the crews needed him for anything, and walked down the beach.

The weather was beautiful, but spring break was still about a month away, so the beaches were considerably emptier. Not even a game of football to try and get in. Sighing, he plopped himself on the sand, and looked out over the water, at the very least getting a little more sun.

He sat there for several minutes, just thinking about his life, when he heard footsteps coming near him. Glancing up, he had to do a double take at who was looking back at him. Her facial features were different, less sharp and angular, but otherwise, she could have been Babs' twin. She looked familiar as hell too. "Do we know each other?" he asked, before she could even speak up.

"I don't think so, no." The woman said. The more he looked, the less she resembled Barbara, a few inches taller, her breasts smaller, and her muscles bigger. Still, it was almost uncanny. Wearing a simple blue cotton dress, and bare feet, this redheaded woman shook her head. "But I think I'm looking for you."

"I've got a fiancée." Deke said quickly.

"No, not like that." The redhead said quickly, setting a large pack on the sand. "Are you Deacon Flynn?"

"I don't go by Flynn anymore, it's O'Connelly, and yeah, I'm him. Sorry about that." He said and got up onto his feet. "And you are?"

"I'm Ingrid Magnus, but I think you and your friends might know me by a different name?" She said, offering her hand. Deke took it, not particularly surprised by her firm and calloused grip. "I wasn't supposed to be here yet, but my visa came through sooner than I thought."

The realization dawned on Deke immediately. He pictured her hair down and wild, instead of in a long braid, and the picture completed itself. "Oh! Yeah, you _are_ early. The place isn't even ready yet. Shield Maiden, right?"

Ingrid nodded. She was a lot more pleasant than her picture led him to think she'd be. "That's me. You're Koa, right?"

Deke snickered and shook his head. "I'm not laughing at you, I promise. I'm Mustang. Koa's about three of me put together."

"Sorry, your pictures were all the same size." Ingrid said with a bit of a frown. They were also all decked out in their heroing gear, and since the guy was so tan and dressed in board shorts, she'd just assumed.

The way she apologized, and her mention of having a visa clicked in Deke's head. "Canadian?" he asked politely.

"Yes, I am. Well, Canadian by way of Iceland. It's a very long story." Ingrid said. "You mentioned the place isn't finished yet though?"

The crestfallen look on her face told Deke she'd made the trip without preparation, something he was perfectly sympathetic towards. He couldn't count the times he'd left something behind before heading off to do his job. He clearly recalled an instance in Panama, helping to contain a malaria outbreak, where he'd been forced to purchase a trucker hat from a vendor because he'd forgotten his back at his apartment in Gotham. "Yeah, Fractal's the only one staying there, and he's living on a futon, mini-fridge, and microwave. Do you have any place to stay here?"

Ingrid shook her head. "I have enough money for a hotel for a while, can you recommend one?"

"Yeah, there's a few here, and if you lock your rates in now, you won't get hit with spring break prices too. There's one up the beach I can show you." Deke said. "You have a lot of gear?"

"Yes, but most of it is still in storage in Toronto. This pack is all I need for now." She said, and tossed it over her shoulder. "You mentioned a fiancée, is that difficult given the other life?"

"Not for me, she's the one that got me into it." Deke explained as they strolled down the beach. "I hear it's tough otherwise though. You have someone back home?"

Ingrid shook her head. "No, never have, and kind of can't. The Maiden part is _very_ literal." She said, but she didn't seem upset about it at all. In fact, there was a certain pride emanating from her. "Can I ask who your fiancée is, or do you keep that quiet for the sake of her privacy?"

"Nah, it's cool. Batgirl." Deke said, stopping to pick up a shark's tooth lying in the sand. "You'll meet her before too long. We were told you were pretty badass too."

"I don't like to say so, but I suppose. Strong and tough, kinda quick. I speak several languages and I'm a skilled blacksmith too. I'm sure there's going to be a probationary period where I'll be able to better illustrate." The sheer humility and easygoing attitude from the woman was not at all what Deke had expected.

"I dunno about probationary, but I'm sure Fractal's gonna wanna learn how to best apply your strengths. He takes a little getting used to, but he's a great guy. Really, we're all pretty solid. Koa's a hugger, fair warning about him. Daeva's a big love too, I haven't met anyone who knows her and doesn't like her. Godiva's a major flirt though, and she lacks any amount of subtlety, so keep that in mind." Deke explained.

"And you?" Ingrid asked. "You didn't mention yourself."

"I hate talking about me too." He drawled with a shrug. Ingrid was growing on him in a big way, he genuinely liked her attitude. That could change in an instant depending on how she handled things in a fight, but at the moment, she was wonderful conversation. "You hungry Ingrid?"

"I could eat. Did you have some place in mind?" She asked, walking slow to enjoy the feeling of the warm sand between her toes.

"Yeah, there's a burger shack not far from here. I can't give you much more of a briefing there though, public place and all." He said, and was interrupted by his phone playing Within Temptation's 'Shot in the dark', the tone he'd set for Aasha. "Daeva," He explained, and fished his phone out of his pocket.

"Hey chica, what's up?" he said, turning to catch the ocean breeze over his shoulders. Ingrid appraised him quickly, and decided she didn't need to worry about how he'd perform in a fight. His movements were easy and confident, but he was tempered by a compassion she respected.

"Oh yeah? You're just gonna taunt me? No, I'm not serious. Hey, one of our new _friends_ showed up early, you and Beegee wanna skip down to Destin and say hi?" he said. After a moment, he turned to look directly at Ingrid and gave her a thumbs up and a silly grin. "Yeah, she's really nice actually. Okay, got it, we'll meet you at the burger shack down the beach."

"I'm really nice? Was this person afraid I was mean or something?" Ingrid asked, not sure what was up with the way he'd explained her.

"You looked pretty fierce in the picture we got of you." Deke explained. "Like, full on ready to battle."

Ingrid shook her head and facepalmed. "Of course, that picture of all of them. It does make me look really mean." She said with a frown. "I _was_ ready to battle there. A small Manta sub had run aground on the beach near my home, and the troopers were raiding the town to get supplies to repair their ride. I took offense to that."

"Alright then." Deke drawled, and pulled up a piece of sand. "Daeva and Batgirl are on their way, should take about twenty minutes to get here from Gotham. Wanna trade origin stories while we wait?"

"Sure. My father is an archaeologist, and he'd been doing a lot of study into the early Norse incursions into North America. One thing led to another, and he's on a dig on Price Edward Island off the coast of New Brunswick. Since I was on break from school, I got to join. While he and his team were there, he dug up the grave of an actual shield maiden. It was exciting because he had a forensic anthropologist with him, who was able to confirm that the remains were female. While they were celebrating, I was busy messing with the artifacts. The maiden's shield was what did it. Enchanted with ancient runic magic, it empowered me, made me into warrior. I have to remain a virgin in order for the magic to keep working though, like I said, a literal maiden." Ingrid explained easily after sitting herself down in the pure white sand, drawing her legs up beneath her in a very ladylike manner.

"That's cool. Daeva is a sorceress, so you might have something in common there. My story's pretty boring though in comparison. I'm just a lucky sap with the meta gene, and it was exploited by some pretty bad people. They set up some tech that activated it not far from my house, and poof, I wake up psychic one day." He explained, leaving out the depressing details because they were exactly that, depressing.

"You read minds or see the future? All I was told by Captain Atom is that you are psychic, and there's more than one way to take that." Ingrid asked. She'd withheld information as well, wanting to keep a few of her tricks secret. One of them was the ability to unerringly size a person up. It didn't tell her what a person's powers or abilities were, only if she could defeat them. Mustang came off as an extremely dangerous opponent.

"All three basic flavors, Telepathic, Telekinetic, and Psychometabolic." Deke drawled. "The telepathy isn't as powerful as other psychics I've met, but both Martians say my telekinetics are better than theirs." Deke said, pulling the shark tooth out of his pocket to really look at it. He decided to make some jewelry with it, but he wasn't sure what yet. Babs hated getting jewelry, but this would be something simple and handmade, more her style.

"Is that them?" Ingrid asked, pointing down the beach at the two people walking their way. She assumed so, because both of them also came off as extremely dangerous people. There was a bit of curse in that ability. She couldn't just see someone as they were. Having a deep and profound grasp on their skills meant it was sometimes almost pointless in getting to know someone naturally.

Deke reached out and brushed their thoughts with his mind. Yeah, they'd full on just got finished having sex, as they both felt satisfied. Aasha more so, and he wasn't sure why, because it wasn't sexual satisfaction. "Yeah, that's them." He said, his curiosity piqued. He'd ask about that later.

"I'm guessing the other redhead is Batgirl, and the tiny one is Daeva?" Ingrid asked. She seemed to have read somewhere that Batgirl was a fellow redhead.

"Yeah, and be careful calling Daeva tiny. She's meaner than a stripe eyed snake when the mood hits her, and calling her little or cute or adorable is a great way to get her into that mood." Deke cautioned. "Otherwise, she really is the most lovable human being I've ever met."

"Noted." Ingrid said and rose to her feet. "So, like ever? I shouldn't even say she's being cute at a particular moment?"

"Oh no, that's cool. You got a really tight friend?" Deke asked, also getting to his feet.

"I have a few, yeah, why?"

"Okay, so say you're having a rough day. If your friend says 'Hey, you're acting like a bitch.' They're just pointing it out. If they say 'Hey, you're a bitch.' They're accusing you, kinda like that." Deke explained, having received this very explanation from Maddie once before. "Same with Daeva. You can tell her she looks cute all you like. Just don't accuse her of it I guess."

"That makes things much clearer. It's easer to resolve her in my head now." Ingrid said. "Is there anything I should know about Batgirl?"

"Well, don't expect to know her name. She's pretty private about it. Most of the Movers only know her by the short version of her first name. She's scary smart too, and she tries to not sound it, but she's totally cool with it when you point out she's talking over your head. You've got the not hitting on me part handled like a boss so that's not a problem. Actually, she might wind up politely interrogating you when you feel like telling her your story, she's into women's history and stuff." Deke offered.

"I think we'll get along, she and I." Ingrid said, and waved politely at them as they drew closer. The little one, Daeva, she had to correct herself, waved back, her body language indicating excitement and openness. The other was more reserved, but seemed open enough.

"Hey, it's a quick bite and we've got to get back." Barbara said, adjusting her sunglasses. "I'm meeting a friend for coffee, to talk about what we went over earlier." She added ambiguously.

Deke nodded and watched Aasha approach Ingrid. "I'm Daeva. You're Shield Maiden, right?" she said, so sunny and friendly. Whatever Babs had said or done, it had worked. Aasha was in a much better mood.

"You can call me Ingrid." She replied, having to fight back commenting how adorable the little Indian woman really was. Mustang had been right, she was very easily likable.

"Aasha Nagra. I suppose neither of us are important enough to keep it secret from teammates." Aasha said, offering her hand. Ingrid took it and shook, smiling at her new teammate.

"So, burger time?" Deke asked, gesturing towards the shack on the beach. "I'm hungry."

Barbara nodded. "Yeah, my lunch got interrupted." She said cryptically, causing Aasha to giggle. Ingrid knew there was a joke in there, but she wasn't about to ask.


	16. Chapter 15

March 16th  
Gotham City  
1200 EST

The past two weeks had been a nightmarish flurry of activity. Aasha had moved into the apartment with Deke and Barbara while she waited on her first check from the Gallery Gotham (pronounced in the most pretentious manner possible of course.) Barbara had been dividing her time between school, the city, and training Bette, crash coursing the girl in everything it meant to be a vigilante. It left precious little alone time for her, and it was beginning to show.

She'd been snappy and cranky from getting almost no sleep, and the stress of her classes were bogging her down horribly so. Her only reprieve was spring break, since Bette was leaving town with her sorority, but that really only meant catching up on as much classwork as she'd be able to procrastinate on.

Deke understood of course, as a psychic in a deep relationship with her, he could feel her stress as easily as she could, and did whatever he was able as often as possible, to help her. It turned out to not be that much though. With the work on the Hacienda nearly complete on the outside, it was growing close to time for Kris to work his mojo, meaning the rest of the new members were incoming soon.

That had put him, Liho, Maddie, Ingrid, Pacifica, and Aasha when she had the opportunity, on getting the interior stuff sorted and ready to go back in. It wouldn't have been so bad, but having to do a lot of it without their powers was a massive undertaking. Kristof was of little help in the endeavor, not because he was lazy, but the opposite. Nitpicking the details like the utility hookups, a last minute argument with the city zoning board, and a dozen other tiny little things had occupied him fiercely.

It had left all of them tired and annoyed. With the end of the semester in five weeks, it was coming down to crunch time for Deke, who was dealing with heavily weighted medical school courses. He couldn't burn off stress with his love, and it had been quiet throughout the world lately, only a bad guy here or there worth going after, and the League had been handy for all of that.

So, there was Deke, gnawing on a baloney sandwich, alone in his apartment, while trashy television was on for background noise. His ears perked when the door opened, so he set his sandwich aside and smiled for his love.

She walked in like a red hurricane, dropping her bookbag on the kitchenette counter and immediately going to the living space, where she plopped herself unceremoniously on her boy's lap. She looked at him with her ocean blue eyes, usually so bright but now dulled with exhaustion and frustration. "I am thoroughly through with this day already." She said, and nuzzled into his neck, though she sniffled and coughed quietly as she did so.

Deke wrapped his arms around her and kept himself still, waiting to see if she had more to say. "I think I'm getting a cold." She finally groused, moving her head so she could breathe. It was plain that her lack of rest had compromised her immune system, because she almost never got sick, and when she did, she usually kicked it in a day or so.

"You might be, come on." Deke said, picking her up and carrying her into the bedroom. "We're going to play doctor."

"I have neither the time nor the drive right now mister." Barbara protested. Playing doctor was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment.

"Not that kind." Deke said, setting her gently on the bed. "Stay here a minute." He requested, and grabbed his old stethoscope and the thermometer. Every night when they went to bed, he reset her biorhythms, an act so practiced it was effectively muscle memory, but where Aasha had been sharing the bed with them, he was having a harder time maintaining physical contact before he fell asleep. Her catching a cold was his fault.

"Oh, this kind of playing doctor, that I can handle." Barbara said, and unbuttoned her overshirt, tossing the red and black flannel garment off to the side. When her boy touched the cold instrument to her chest, she recoiled for a moment.

"Sorry." He said, and listened to her lungs. Following that, he checked her temperature. "Lungs are clear, despite your nose, but you're warm too."

"I miss the days when you used to call me hot." Barbara said sarcastically, showing him the tip of her tongue. "Seriously though, is this the sniffles or something worse?"

Deke pondered it a moment. It was definitely the sniffles. A good meal, a good sleep, a hot shower and maybe a date with the Neti pot would have her right as rain. "It's worse." Deke said, making a show of it. "Miss Gordon, I'm writing you a prescription for a day off under care."

Barbara shook her head stubbornly. "Too much to do. I've got class in an hour and a half." She said, already reaching for her overshirt. "Write me something stronger so I can get back to work." She added, playing along.

"I'd rather treat the disease than the symptoms." Deke argued, grasping her hand gently and sliding her shirt from out of her grasp, before pushing her gently down onto the bed. It was clear how tired she was when she couldn't even bring herself to fight back on him. "You need to sleep, you're doing that thing again where you forget you're not a machine."

"Deke baby, I really can't miss this class." Barbara protested, hating how he played dirty by stroking her cheek with the back of his hand, a comforting gesture that she couldn't much resist. "He's handing out the information for our finals."

"Okay, if that's what you want." Deke said, getting up from his seated position on the bed to put his stethoscope and thermometer away. "But those sniffles are going to turn into a sinus infection if you don't take care of them now, and you know what happens when you get a sinus infection, right?"

Barbara shook her head, trying to will her body into getting up out of the bed. "No, I've never had a sinus infection."

"Have you had a yeast infection?" Deke countered, turning to look her in her very sleepy face. He knew very well that she had, having contracted a particularly uncomfortable one last August, which she'd then accidentally transferred to him.

"What does a sinus infection have to do with a yeast infection?" Barbara argued. She knew enough medicine to administer first aid and operate some pretty simple medical equipment, but the viruses she dealt with were electronic.

"The antibiotics you'll get will wind up giving you a yeast infection. So, you either make arrangements and take the day to get pampered a little, or you get your nose clogged up so bad you can't breathe while you're trying to bust up a bank robbery, which slows you down and puts you in danger, on top of having a burning itch in your lady business. Take your pick." Deke said, laying her options out for her.

Barbara's eyes narrowed to slits, obviously unhappy with either choice. "Fine, I'll email a classmate." She said, sitting up long enough to remove her glasses and set them on the nightstand. She'd taken to wearing them more frequently since Deke had mentioned he found them attractive on her, and it spared her having to mess with her contacts, and any time saver was good at the moment.

Fishing his pone out of his pocket, Deke rooted through his contact list and placed a quick call. "Hey, Doctor Haddad, this is O'Connelly. My fiancée is sick so I'm staying in with her." He said once the call connected. Barbara regarded him with a curious eye as he conversed with his teacher.

"No sir, we're trying to keep it from getting that way. Easier to beat a cold than pneumonia, right?" Deke said, quoting his professor's favorite line back to him. It had the desired effect. "Yessir, I'll check Blackboard later. Thank you sir." Deke said, and returned his phone to his pocket.

Sighing, Barbara texted her professor quickly, and set her phone to the side next to her glasses. "Okay, you won." She grumbled. "Now come here and love me."

"Actually," Deke said, sitting beside her and summoning a brush to his hand. "Sleep later, hot bath now. It'll loosen the ick in your nose and help you breathe. To make up for it, there's a hair brushing for you while the water heats up."

He made another gesture, so intimately familiar with their apartment that he no longer needed to physically see where certain things were before he could manipulate them. The water heater was one of them. Similar to the style used in many Asian countries, it only heated the line, but it took a bit of time to heat up first. Barbara sat up and took her frizzy hair out of its tie, and maneuvered herself in front of her boy.

The moment the bristles of the brush met her scalp, she groaned contentedly. "You spoil me something awful." She said, falling in love with the way the brush massaged her scalp. Almost immediately, she felt the beginnings of the trippy full-body sensation of her biorhythms being set.

"I love you." Deke said to explain why he spoiled her. "Of course I try to spoil you. I'm just glad you have low expectations."

Barbara reached around behind her and swatted at his knee. "Shush that, you. I have realistic expectations." She countered, and yawned big immediately afterwards. She knew she'd been pushing herself harder than usual lately. Kaldur had tasked her on a couple of assignments, one of which had her running rooftops in Rhelasia for almost eleven hours straight just that past Sunday. She hadn't quit working with Bette either, doing her everloving damndest to make sure the girl was properly prepared before hitting the streets of Gotham. The smart thing would have been to have Tim work with her, but he was so busy with his Titans project that he had as much free time as she did.

"Oh hell." Barbara muttered, remembering Kaldur. "The League induction ceremony is this Friday. I completely forgot. Are you going?"

"All the veteran Movers are, Captain Atom specifically asked for us to be there." Deke said, trying to work the myriad snags and tangles from his love's beautiful sunset colored hair. He'd several times considered working the tangles out with his powers, but hundreds of strands of hair, each weaving and intertwining into one another, that was probably a recipe for immediate and traumatic baldness.

"Oh cool. Bruce didn't take me turning the League down badly at all. I really expected a lecture; I got more of a positive sounding grunt." Barbara said, yawning again, her voice rising in register and making her sound adorable. "You sure I can't nap first?"

"You could, but once you lay down you'll be tossing and turning forever trying to get into a position to breathe comfortably." Deke said. "So, efficiency wins here today."

"Quit pretending to be me, Mister I-Don't-Get-Sick-Because-I-Have-Superpowers." Barbara said sassily.

Deke just kept brushing her hair, smoothing the frizz and tangles out. She'd lost about half her length thanks to a Parademon's fiery breath, but it was growing back out beautifully, and no matter what, it was still addictive to him. "What, I'm not letting you get worse. This is easily handled."

Knowing she wasn't going to win that day, Barbara just enjoyed having her hair brushed. Silently, she chastised herself for burning the candle at both ends, knowing full well it was coming up on finals. Many young heroes stepped back a good distance, or hung up the tights at points like this. No member of the League had, nor would, ever speak ill of them for doing so.

Near her, Barbara's phone chimed. She picked it up and saw an email notification from Wonder Woman. Puzzled as to why she of all people was emailing, Barbara ran it through the encryption app, and opened the message up. It was a big batch message, sent to what looked like every female on or allied with the League.

"What's up?" Deke asked, setting the brush aside and rubbing his love's shoulders, trying to knock some of the tension out of her. Every little bit helped her body heal, the contact also assisted his resetting of her biorhythms, and he'd be lying if he didn't say he loved touching her.

"Greetings warrior women." Barbara said, reading the email out loud. "The time draws close for us all to take responsibility and charge of our health, and so we must ensure the safety of our breasts, that they remain a healthy marker of womanhood."

"That was a bit florid." Deke mumbled. "I thought she stopped talking like that a long time ago."

"She did, but it certainly drives the point." Barbara said, feeling oddly pleased and nervous for some reason. It didn't take long to figure out why. Her boy was radiating it. "Cowboy, did you ask Wonder Woman to remind us to do breast exams?"

"Maybe." Deke said evasively. Barbara turned around to face him, and pounced him to the bed for her preferred means of interrogating him; tickles. "Okay okay okay! Yes, I emailed her last month! You, Ash, and Maddie are the only three I know that do!" He finally admitted, trying desperately to keep the information to himself.

Barbara stopped and let him breathe, giving him a soft, warm look. "That's thoughtful of you." She said after a minute. He'd lost his mother to breast cancer, which was no secret. He'd even asked her, early on in their relationship if she took the time out to do so, which she did, though she'd since let him handle that particular responsibility. It was a lot more fun.

"Save the ta-ta's?" He offered by way of explanation, feeling embarrassed about it. He didn't want to be recognized for it. He'd asked Wonder Woman for her help specifically because it would seem a lot less creepy coming from her, and since so many people looked up to her, he thought it might help as a reminder.

Barbara leaned down and kissed him on the nose, though the pressure in her sinuses prevented her from turning it into a long, proper kiss like she wanted to. "I'm proud of you." She said, and got completely up, letting him rise in the process. "You think the water's hot?"

"I do. I'll run your bath, you just get undressed." He said, and placed another smooch on her. "I love you." He said, nuzzling noses with her gently.

She blushed, putting on an artificially bashful expression. "I love you too." She replied, watching him leave the room. She grabbed a pillow and held it in her lap, hugging it fiercely with a beautiful smile on her face. It was good to be loved.

Barbara picked up her phone after a minute and sent Bette a text telling her that she was under the weather, and to hit the gym at school and do some routines on the bars. Barbara was a good gymnast, she was damn good. Bette wasn't that far behind her. While she typed, she could hear the water running in the bathtub, though she also heard a plunking noise. Too small to be her boy falling into the tub, she wasn't sure what to make of it until she caught a whiff of lavender. Deke had dropped one of the bath bombs she'd made into the tub.

"Babs, tub's ready." Deke called from the bathroom after a few minutes. Barbara slipped out of her clothes and walked into the bathroom. "You're beautiful." He said to her, and made an inviting gesture to the tub, full of water so hot it was steaming, just the way she loved it. 

* * *

**AN: So, by now, I'm hoping I have at least a couple of female readers. Barring that, I'm hoping I have a few readers with women they're close to in real life. Bit of my RL backstory, two women in my family are Breast Cancer survivors, but the road to kicking cancer's ass was long, painful, exhausting, and ultimately, nearly killed them anyway. So, either for yourselves, or the women you love, check the girls by yourself and get them looked at professionally every year. Or, as mentioned above, have a lover do it for you. ;)**

 **Thus ends my public service for the month. Back to your regularly scheduled poorly written action/adventure/smut.**


	17. Chapter 16

March 17th  
Coast City  
0700 PST

Waking up early was so criminal, Maddie was about to kick her own ass and send herself off to Belle Reve just for doing it. It was a necessary evil though, especially considering who was with her in the bed. She rolled over onto her shoulder to look at Rick. Or was it Brian? No, it was definitely Mason.

Hell with it, whatever his name was, he was a decent lay with his own place, that's all that mattered. She'd mastered getting out of a bed without disturbing any of the other occupants, her personal best was an eight person orgy in one king size, and nobody noticed her leaving. Silently, she slipped her underwear on and shimmied into the dress she'd worn the night before to go clubbing.

Like a wraith, she moved through whoever he was' apartment, picking her way across the plain tile floor with her shoes in her hands. With a practiced ease, she unlocked the door, double checked her large purse to make sure she had everything she needed, and then opened the door, locked it back, and closed it slowly.

Outside, the Coast City sunshine assaulted her. Even this early, it was bright and warm outside. It made the glare on the screen of her phone extra annoying, but she had to check it. The Hacienda had been her permanent residence, but with it under construction, she couldn't go home, so, she'd been sleeping her way across Coast City to have places to stay for the nights until the place was finished. It wasn't glamourous, but it was a roof and a bed, and, about half the time, it was also fun.

As she walked, a sleek black convertible pulled up alongside her. She assumed it was somebody trying to hire her, though if they had the keys to a 458 Ferrari, she might well be available for booking. "I've been looking for you." The driver said. Weren't they all?

Maddie turned to look at the guy, and stopped dead in her tracks. Sitting behind the wheel was the Green Lantern, well, he wasn't exactly looking like a Lantern at the moment, instead in street clothes and expensive sunglasses. How much did the Lantern corps pay and how did a girl go about getting an application and interview?

"Seriously, Maddie, hop in, we should talk. Over breakfast. I'm buying." He said, and it was that last bit that clenched it. With an aloof shrug, she stepped to the curb and got into the car, sliding into the seat like she'd done it a million times. "Are you okay?" he asked, once she'd buckled her seatbelt.

"Yeah, I'm good." She lied. "What'd you want to talk about?"

"I have some information for you that I think you'd be interested in." Hal said, pulling back into traffic proper, driving towards Ferris Field. There was an amazing diner just a couple of blocks away. "About the Nishian people."

"Is there a reason I should care?" Maddie asked, not much caring at all. She'd tried finding a sugar daddy until the Hacienda was finished, but after two nights, she just couldn't handle it anymore, so she'd tried her luck shagging across town, and that had worked out just fine. No attachments, just casual sex.

"I thought you'd be a bit more interested in your biology, if not your heritage. What happened to you?" Hal asked, a bit taken back. "On the Watchtower you seemed interested enough."

Maddie sighed. "That was then." She said, and frowned, hearing herself. "Look, I'm sorry, I've been particularly unhappy lately. Go ahead please." She said, relaxing into the leather seat a bit more.

Hal stopped at a red light, and put the top up, to allow them a chance to talk without yelling. They were about to get on the highway and the wind would make it impossible to converse. Once the hard top was up, he spoke up. "The Nishians are a race of near human people, who occupy a planet approximately seven and a half light years away. They live under a red sun, which means they react in a similar manner to Superman under a yellow sun."

"So how come I can't fly?" Maddie asked. That had been genuinely bothering her. She should get to be able to fly. Mustang and Daeva could fly, and they looked like they were having a lot of fun when they did.

"Different physiology I guess." Hal replied apologetically. "Nishians communicate through pheromones, which is why you have such control over yours. Everything else is pure conjecture at this point though. Before you, there's no known evidence of Nishians ever leaving their planet. They don't possess faster than light travel."

Maddie frowned. "Well, my mom has information about my sperm donor, but I can't see it until she passes. I'm not in hurry." She said, that last bit quietly. "So, that's that then?"

"In a nutshell, yeah. I didn't think you'd be interested in a cultural lesson." Hal said honestly. She really didn't look the type.

"We can't talk about this over breakfast, might as well on the drive. What's up with them?" Maddie asked pragmatically. Besides that, she needed to know for Drew's sake.

"Nishia is a harsh world, with strong climate variances. Their deserts are hotter, and their poles are colder. They've developed a culture just as harsh to ensure survival. Everything about them involves adapting to survive. It's left their society fragmented on environmental lines. Desert people don't care for jungle people, for example."

"Sounds familiar." Maddie muttered. "How'd my sperm donor get here?"

"That's the mystery. Because they don't possess faster than light travel, they aren't well known to the galaxy at large. The Guardians only have passing information about them. I had to track down the Lantern in charge of their sector to learn what I've just told you." Hal explained.

"So, more questions than answers, nothing new." Maddie groused. She made the rest of the trip quietly, just watching Coast City melt away into the California Mountains as Ferris Field loomed in the distance. The Green Lantern kept talking to her, inane small talk more than anything, but he never once made a comment about how she was dressed, or where she was coming from.

They arrived at the nearly empty diner towards the end of the breakfast shift, Hal suggesting a few things for her to try. Bending to peer pressure, Maddie went with a huge pancake platter, and was surprised at how good it was. Across from her, the Green Lantern (someone had called him Hal when he walked in, and it seemed like she wasn't supposed to notice that.) was unhappily eating an egg white omelet.

She murmured a 'huh' at him when he said something a minute later, not totally paying attention to her breakfast company. "I said, what aren't you talking about? Don't play dumb." He said. Most people looked at Hal Jordan and saw a man who lived his life between his legs, always looking for the fastest cars and the fastest women, but there was more to him than that. The ring didn't choose a vapid wielder.

Maddie sighed, knowing playing aloof wasn't going to cut it with him. "Look, this keeps between you and me, okay? And I'm not just trying to sell a sob story, just remember you asked me." she said, leveling her blue eyes at him, hoping to impress how important it was. When he nodded, she continued. "No home until the Hacienda is finished. No money till then either. I can't go to anyone else on the team. Aasha is still trying to get her footing in Gotham, Deke and Babs are doing their thing, and Kris is still trying to get away from his own home. My family is of little use either, unless I need judged, in which case they're amazing. I'm just tired, okay? Emotionally, and physically."

"So that bomb we dropped on you didn't help at all." Hal said with a wise look on his face. "It's a lot to process. I had to go through it with the ring, but my experience is different than yours. I can't begin to imagine what it's like."

"It's shitty is what it's like." Maddie said, running her fingers through her hair, the heavy blonde highlights mixing with her natural dark hair between her digits. "You probably understand the whole 'life flipping upside down' just fine. That's what this is."

"One step at a time." Hal said patiently. "So, let's start with step one. The Hacienda should be finished in a couple of days. Instead of bed hopping, as fun as that is, why don't you stay at Ferris Field? There's more than enough lodging set aside for pilots, and it's a guaranteed roof and three meals. Plus, the cafeteria isn't that bad."

"That's nice of you to offer, but I can't do that." Maddie said, her pride getting in the way of things. She had no shame in effectively prostituting herself for places to stay, nor any embarrassment at stealing quick showers at her lover of the night's home or a whore's bath in a gas station sink. She'd sunk lower before, and she'd survived. Being handed a place to stay for a few days, just because? That was different.

"You can, and you should. I can't force you, but I promise you, Carol Ferris can, and I have to have a meeting with her before I can run you back into the city. She is _not_ a woman to cross, believe me." Hal said, recalling every time he thought he was hot enough shit to try it, and how wrong he'd been every single time.

"Fine, but I'm doing something to work it off." Maddie counter-offered. "I don't care if I'm scrubbing toilets. I won't freeload."

"I'm sure we can think of something. Actually," Hal said with a thoughtful look on his face. "What are you doing for a living in Florida?"

"I work a pole." Maddie said honestly. "And I'm good at it too. Those Airmen love throwing their paychecks away."

"We do love throwing our money away." Hal agreed. "Speaking of those Airmen though, if Carol can get you doing something while you wait for your place to get finished, it'd look good on a job application at Eglin. There are plenty of civilian job openings if you get tired of the pole."

"Trying to save me from a life of degradation and humiliation?" Maddie snarked, she'd heard this story a thousand times over from a countless number of customers, who thought they out of every other man, was capable of rescuing her from her life of shame and nudity.

"Oh hell no, a good performer is a terrible thing to waste." Hal retorted, surprising her. "You probably make better money on the pole than you would on Eglin. I just mention it in case you get tired or bored."

"Oh, well, in that case, thanks." She replied, picking at the last of her pancakes. "Sorry, not used to most people giving much of a shit really."

"Hey, intergalactic cop," Hal said in defense of his attitude. "Protecting and serving across an entire sector. Besides, this life is, for lack of a better term, difficult some times. It pays to support one another when we can."

"Thanks." Maddie said, eyeing her pancakes. "Is there a place to do laundry at the field?" She only had a couple of outfits, most of them slinky dresses, and what wasn't, needed washed in the worst possible way, along with her underwear.

"Yeah, there's a laundry facility, and a small exchange. The place used to be a military air field back during World War Two, and Carol bought it when the government was auctioning it off. Since she got it cheap, she was able to do more with the place. It's a fully functional private airbase." Hal explained. He loved it there, and not just because it reminded him of an Air Force base. Carol had given a lot of consideration to the place. When the company was in full testing and development of a project, a lot of employees temporarily lived there to prevent a commute, and she wanted it comfortable and welcoming.

"Awesome." Maddie said, pushing her plate away. She was stuffed to the gills on pancakes, and felt like curling up into a ball and sleeping the rest of the day away. Between her recent activities and the carbs, it would be more of a coma, and a necessary one at that. There was more that needed said before she passed out though. "So, there's more to you than you're letting on. You're not trying to sleep with me, but you're being especially nice. I'm not complaining, and I'm not turning you down, I just need to know."

Hal took on an uncomfortable look at her rightfully suspicious attitude. He'd detested the idea of the entire senior membership of the Justice League taking a vacation when he and Jon took off with Kyle to Oa. It was bad enough they were leaving Guy behind as the only Green Lantern, but now Bats, Wonder Woman, and Big Blue were going to go AWOL in a couple of weeks? There was a time and a place to test these kids, but this wasn't the way to do it. "Look, I can't, and won't say, just, understand I'm trying to be the good guy here." Hal said defensively.

Maddie's expression soured slightly. "Okay, you win. I trust you on this." She said, immediately preferring that he _was_ trying to sleep with her, which would have been much easier to handle.

Hal nodded, and pulled his wallet out to cover the tab. "I'm not trying to win anything, but thank you for trusting me on this."

"It's better than not I suppose." Maddie said, already imagining a hot shower she didn't have to rush through, and a bed she didn't have to vacate before its owner woke up hoping for another go. There was something else at play, but at the moment, she couldn't afford to be picky about it.


	18. Chapter 17

March 21st  
Gotham City  
0900 EST

"Wake up sleepyhead." Barbara heard in her ear. The sweet mezzo soprano voice was gentle, but insistent. She reflexively batted her eyes as she opened them to see Aasha leaning over her, looking like she'd just woken up herself. She placed a small kiss on Barbara's nose and smiled.

"Why? It's Sunday." Barbara protested, the gentle kiss not soothing having her phrase stolen. "Sunday's my sleepy day."

"Someone's cooking us breakfast." Aasha said, over annunciating the word to drive the point home. She'd been roused a few minutes earlier by the smell of coffee and the sounds of cooking in the kitchen, which had stirred her quickly. She'd been up late drawing, so she wanted to sleep in too, but food had won out.

"I love his face." Barbara murmured, slipping out of bed. She got to her feet and squealed when she felt a hand swatting her bottom. Turning around, Barbara saw Aasha sliding out of bed behind her, wearing one of her old shirts that no longer fit. There was no way to protest that without sounding hypocritical.

"I love your face." Aasha said, handing Barbara a pair of yoga pants and a tee shirt. She had another week before she'd get her first paycheck from the Galleria Gotham, and however long until she found an affordable apartment in a safe neighborhood, so she was effectively cohabitating with them until then, so she tried to make herself as useful as possible.

Barbara wrapped the smaller woman up in a hug, placed a kiss on the top of her head, and slipped into the clothes Aasha offered. The two girls exited the bedroom and looked to the right to see Deke currently involved in the process of cooking. He looked up at them, smiled and waved, and gestured towards the small table near the kitchenette. It had been set with plates, full cups of coffee, and two decanters, one with milk and the other with orange juice. On both plates were paper napkin roses.

"Good morning ladies." He said from the kitchen in a much brighter and more chipper mood than either of them would have expected from him. He'd spent last night in his hometown helping Kentucky State Police handle a massive gang related drug ring, and according to the news, he'd been in rare form. Both girls had expected him to sleep till dinnertime.

"Mornin' Cowboy." Barbara said, his cheerful mood infectious. She slipped into one of the chairs at the dinette table and sipped at the mug of coffee, the bold smell and flavor rousting her more fully. "What's got you so bushy-tailed?"

"Well, I wanted to celebrate." Deke said, bringing food from the kitchenette to the small table, two-fisting skillets and a couple of other containers floating behind him. He began serving the two most important women in his life, laying out bacon and eggs from the skillets (much smaller portions for Aasha, which was a habit he'd played hell getting into), before adding cheese grits and what appeared to be homemade biscuits to the plates as well. A bowl of sausage gravy completed the spread.

"What are we celebrating?" Aasha asked, wondering how in the world he could forget beans with breakfast. "And what time did you get in last night? I was up until almost three."

"Four thirty or so. I'm going to be useless tonight." He admitted, taking a seat after dismissing the breakfast vessels back to the kitchenette counter. "And, we're celebrating because I checked my email when I got home."

"Good job." Barbara said, patting him on the head in a patronizing tone. "Email is hard huh?"

Deke blinked twice at his love, who giggled and showed him the tip of her tongue before smooching him. "Yeah, it really is, especially when I haven't checked it since last Wednesday. You two are looking at one of three medical students who will be the first official doctorates of Xeno-medicine in the entire world."

Barbara's eyes flew open wide. There were several STAR Labs scientists who'd begun pioneering the field, but they'd been forced to focus out of necessity. None of them was a legitimate doctor with a focus in xenobiology and anatomy. The closest was Doctor Emil Hamilton, and even he would be the first to admit it was a lot of trial and error. "Oh my God that's awesome!" She squealed, clapping her hands happily. The two people in this room were among the very small list of people she'd act like that around.

"That's _very_ good news!" Aasha added brightly, leaning over and kissing him on the cheek. Barbara followed suit on the other side, leaving him blushing and beaming.

"So, once I finish school, I will, unless I miss my guess, be the world's only Doctor of Xenopediatrics." Deke said with a grin. He shoveled a bite of grits into his mouth to give the girls a proper chance to talk.

"Pediatrics huh?" Barbara asked around a bite of bacon. "Why that?"

"Well, I was thinking, the Meta gene tends to express itself around puberty, and since I've got the gene and I lived through it activating, I've got a better handle on what it's like." Deke said, having to swallow his food quickly to answer. "Plus, yeah, when you had me take those little bears down to pediatrics after we met, it got me thinking."

Barbara smiled warmly, feeling pleased that she had helped him in some small way, arrive at his choice. "Cowboy, that is seriously awesome. How many people applied for the xeno classes?"

Deke shrugged. "I never asked. I just know that me and two other students were accepted. One of them dropped endocrinology in a heartbeat to do it too. It's gonna be a lot of genetics and extra bio and anatomy classes from here on out though. I might become a headache." He explained, taking Barbara's hand.

"Hey, it'll be worth it once school is over." Barbara said, flipping her hand to take his in her grip, squeezing it lightly. "How about after you let your food settle, you get yourself a nap, and this evening, we'll all go out and celebrate properly?"

"Yes, that is absolutely necessary, all of that." Aasha agreed. She'd been looking for an excuse to get herself dolled up, and going out to celebrate sounded wonderful. She wasn't sure what kind of scene Gotham had on a Sunday night, but she was certainly willing to have a go at it. 

* * *

Much later, Aasha had excused herself to the bedroom to get ready for the evening. She stripped herself down quickly, leaving her standing alone and naked in the room. "Think girl." She commanded herself, forcing herself to focus on just how best to ready herself for the evening. Barbara had put Deke to bed quietly (a mercy to Aasha's libido) and had explained where they were going.

She had some help when Barbara slipped in shortly thereafter. "We might want to hurry before _someone_ gets ideas." She said, hooking a thumb towards the bathroom where Deke was bathing.

"You're on your period, what kind of ideas can he get?" Aasha said, puzzled.

"He's not so repulsed by the idea, though we still limit it just in case." Barbara said, referring to her not being on her birth control for the week. "Unlike some other people."

Aasha made a face. She wanted nothing to do with anybody or anything on her week, preferring to let her body do its thing without any interference. "That's between you two. At least he doesn't call it blowjob week, it's just so crude."

"No, but I do on occasion." Barbara said with a wink. "Just not publicly though. You should try that green dress by the way. I just got it back from the cleaners."

"You took my dress to the cleaners?" Aasha asked, not at all offended by the idea, instead surprised that Babs had done it at all. It was a very thoughtful gesture. Barbara nodded in agreement, and watched as Aasha slipped the green satin dress over her head. It settled beautifully, hugging her small body and accentuating her in a becoming manner.

"You might want to try some underwear, though." Barbara said, gesturing towards Aasha's small peaks, poking through the material proudly. "Are you that turned on?"

"Cold at the moment." Aasha countered and got back out of the dress to dig for a matched set of knickers, finally deciding on a set of black and pink ones that hugged her comfortably. She pulled them on, adjusting the way the tanga style panties rested on her bum, and clasped her bra in front, twisting it around properly to put it on.

"At the moment." Barbara said in a good-naturedly mocking tone. She chose something a bit more demure in bikini cut panties and padded bra, her headlights still in a permanent state of on after getting them pierced. They'd settle eventually, but according to her research, it might take a little while.

"Are you picking on me?" Aasha asked as she got back into her dress, and deciding she felt very sexy in it. Since the words most commonly used to describe her were things like cute and adorable, sexy was a welcome change.

"Not at all." Barbara said honestly. She was actually pleased that the usually very shy and demure woman was able to express herself in all aspects of her life in an easier and more confident manner. She was a goddess when she was whipping up winds, but when it came to feeling free to be herself, it was more the opposite. "You look gorgeous by the way."

"Thank you." Aasha said sweetly as she ran a brush through her mane of hair, debating on what to do with it. It was far too long for pigtails and far too thick for braids. As her most beautiful feature though, she didn't want to just tie it up or let it hang either. "Are you wearing heels?"

Barbara nodded. "Yeah, but I can run sprints in them. Are you wearing your ballet slippers?"

"I was going to, but I'm worried my feet are going to freeze." Aasha said. It was the middle of March and Gotham was still feeling like wintertime. "How are we getting to the Spire?"

"Uber." Barbara said as she ran a hand up her legs, frowning at the prickly sensation. She hadn't bothered shaving them the night before, having not made plans to go out anywhere, and now it was biting her on the ass.

"Hey, sit back, I've got this." Aasha said, steering Barbara to the bed. When she sat down, Aasha summoned a web of electricity between her fingers. "It tickles, that's all. It makes grooming _elsewhere_ an interesting experience though." She said to ease Barbara's trepidation, and began working her hands over the girl's legs, quickly burning the hair away.

"Oh that _is_ weird." Barbara said at the new sensation on her legs. It tingled and did in fact tickle, but it was also over very quickly. When Aasha was finished, she banished the electricity, and gestured for Barbara to feel her legs, which she did with a pleased look. "So this is how you stay so smooth."

"Yes it is. No rash or ingrown hairs either, plus, I never buy razor blades or shaving cream." Aasha said, handing her girlfriend the outfit she'd laid out. She watched as Barbara slipped into the long, flowing green skirt, loose beige shirt, and ankle length cream colored crochet jacket that made her outfit.

"That's a unique outfit." Aasha commented. "Not what I expected at all."

"You like it?" Barbara asked. "My dad bought it for me last week, he called it a Stevie Nicks getup." She twirled around a bit, loving the way the loose clothing swished and swirled around as she moved. She felt like dancing, and dancing would be a great deal of fun in an outfit like this.

"Who's Stevie Nicks?" Aasha asked as she applied her makeup, nothing too extravagant, just some color to her lips and eyes. When she was met with silence, she cast a look over her shoulder to see Babs sitting there, mouth agape, in surprise. "Babs, what's wrong?"

"You, my dear, have some learning to do, and God help you if _he_ hears you say that." Barbara said. Her dad had been carrying a torch for Stevie Nicks since his childhood, meaning she'd heard just about every song the woman had made, with Fleetwood Mac and without. When she and Deke had spent time at his family home a few years ago, they'd gone through his parents' music collection and had discovered they were both fans.

"Okay, mum's the word then, but seriously, who is she?" Aasha asked, going back to her makeup, feeling proud she'd fooled her girlfriend. As a lover of things punk and metal, one couldn't discount where it came from. Trolling her lovers was going to be a lovely game. 

* * *

Barbara, Aasha, and Deke strolled into The Spire, taking a look around. It was less busy on a Sunday night, considering that the place was built to cater more towards late teens, but there were still plenty of people well above drinking age who came to enjoy the different activities. With a large dance floor on the top level, complete with a stocked coffee and juice bar, and live music five nights a week, the place was extremely popular, and that didn't even include the floors below, with a skating rink, laser tag, video arcade, and several other things to do.

"I love this place." Barbara said, taking her lovers by the hands and crossing the dance floor. She had such a bright smile on her face that Deke couldn't help but feel swept up into it. They crossed to a table on the far side, picking through the crowd, and secured themselves a table. Aasha crawled up into the tall seat, with a look on her face that said she'd accept neither help nor comment.

"I'll get us some drinks." Deke said, not bothering to wait to see what they wanted. One of the perks to spending time with a psychic was never having to hope he'd remember your order. He picked his way through the crowd again, pushing out a very low level field of static, not enough to even notice, just enough to instinctively make people want to step away. It was a useful trick, one he'd picked up during some training on how to tail somebody without them knowing it.

It reminded Deke of Bruce trying to stunt the development of his powers. Sure, he'd picked up some exceptionally useful skills in the trade, but there was some part of him that felt as though Bruce's artificial retarding of his growth was just another example of how people were naturally afraid of him.

Deke took in a deep breath to calm himself, trying to banish the negativity. He was here with Babs and Ash to celebrate, not get mired in a funk. "One pomegranate lhassi, one iced chai latte, and one peanut butter and banana shake please." Deke said, sliding over a couple of fives. As he stood there waiting on their drinks, he turned his eyes to the beautiful women he'd come here with.

They'd left their things at a table and had made their way to the dance floor with a predictable impatience. Once on the floor, they'd wasted no time getting moving, and more than once, one or the other would turn their back to him when they felt the need to get low. With a smile plastered to his face, Deke watched calmly, feeling like some kind of badass crime boss, and knowing he looked like a redneck on a lucky streak, dressed in his nice boots, jeans, and his favorite suit jacket.

When their drinks were finished, he took them in his hands, surreptitiously using his powers to prevent spills and drops, and walked them back to their table. For once, the long wait to get drinks worked in their favor as it allowed him an opportunity to perv on the girls for a while.

"There's the good stuff." Aasha said, taking her Chai latte and sipping at it. She closed her eyes and savored it for a good long moment, letting the spices mingle on her tongue. When she opened her eyes, she saw her lovers looking at her, Barbara trying to reign in a giggle. "What?"

"Should we feel threatened?" Barbara asked. The girl looked like she was in absolute love with her drink.

"Maybe. There are things that only a good chai can do for a girl." Aasha countered, and then glanced up. "Oh look at those two." She said, pointing out a couple who had just walked into the top floor. The boy had short cropped dark hair, a clean shaven face, and a cleft chin. He wore his black tie-less suit well, and it gave the impression that he spent some time in the gym. The girl on his arm was equally captivating; pale white skin, long dark hair, and in a long slinky black dress with a dangerously plunging neckline, showing off the curvature of her generous breasts.

"Quite an entrance without saying a word." Aasha said. The pair looked quite happy with one another, and the way they flanked one another spoke of a level of comfort you didn't see on a first date.

Barbara nodded. "She's gorgeous. He's pretty easy on the eyes too, but wow, I wish I could pull a dress like that off."

"You know you can." Deke argued, but he could see Barbara's thoughts, of her in a dress like that. Despite her slender torso, her latissimus muscles were far too developed for something with that kind of cut. One casual extension of her arm and she'd split the thing down the side seams. Not that Deke cared in the slightest, but she seemed to. To take her mind off of it, he offered her a sip of his shake.

Barbara smiled at him, and nuzzled him in thanks before she sipped at what he called the Elvis shake. She was about to say something when she saw her boy's attention shift. At first, she thought the girl in the black dress had experienced a wardrobe malfunction, but her instincts, trained through years of doing the vigilante gig, had told her otherwise.

"Shouldn't you all be in bed for school?" a voice screamed out, a familiar voice, one that spawned the utmost of horror in Barbara's heart. Things only got worse when a maniacal laugh preceded the speaker, the most familiar face of evil in Gotham. "It's okay! Uncle Joker's here to help you play hooky!"

"No." Barbara said, unable to conceal her terror, as the Clown Prince of Crime waltzed his way into the spire. He was followed by several people in theater masks, specifically, Comedy.


	19. Chapter 18

**AN: If some of this doesn't make sense, I apologize. Just a quick nod to a friend and their work in this chapter and the next.  
**

* * *

March 21st  
Gotham City  
2245 EST

The patrons of the Spire were all lumped together in the top floor ballroom, all of them on the ground while the Joker watched over them with a proper tommy gun. What was most bothersome of all was that his choice of firearm was probably worth more than the collected cash available to him in this heist, if that's what it was.

Amidst the crowd, Deke knelt in front of Barbara and Aasha. He could toss the Joker out the window without so much batting an eye, but Babs had stayed his hand. "It's never how it seems with him." She'd said the moment she recognized the look in his eye. That's what left them kneeling with the rest of the people in the Spire, watching and waiting, to see what his next move was going to be.

"So the duck asks, got any grapes?" The Joker said, delivering the punchline. He frowned when nobody laughed, and cut loose a burst from his tommy gun into the ceiling. "That's pure comedy people! What kinda captive audience are you?" he said with a maniacal cackle.

[We can't act yet.] Barbara said across the link Deke had established between the three of them. [And whatever you do, don't touch his thoughts.] she warned to her boy. The idea of him trying to divine the Joker's goals by reaching into that broken mind sent a shiver up her spine.

[We need a distraction. I've been mentally preparing the spell that will change our clothes into our costumes, but we need some misdirection first.] Aasha said, piping up for the first time since the Joker had arrived. That explained her silence, as she had to muster every bit of her willpower to perform such a spell.

[We're about to get it.] Deke replied quietly, his eyes scanning the crowd. [That girl you two were checking out, she's a Meta, and she's about to make her debut.] Ever since Aasha had gotten roofied at the party with Maddie, Deke had taken to shifting his perceptions occasionally at big social gatherings, to help make sure people were doing okay and not getting drugged or anything equally horrible. When he'd done it recently, he could see the rhythms of the young lady whipping into a maelstrom, the energy within her body shifting and warping and growing into something bigger than herself.

Barbara risked a glance the girl's direction, hoping it didn't catch the attention of the Joker, or his people. For a moment, it looked like nothing was happening, but when she took in her environment, she could tell there was something under the surface. The windows began frosting, and the drinks on the tables began building up ice, curiously in a faded green color. People near the two began trying to move away, scooting as best they could without getting noticed either.

[The boy's a fighter too, I could tell by how he walked. This is either a godsend or a massive complication. Be ready Aasha.] Barbara said, and waited.

"Getting a bit of the cold shoulder in here." The Joker commented, immediately scanning the crowd. He'd dealt with enough capes to know when one was in the audience. "One way to fix that problem."

[ _Now_!] Barbara said over the link as the Joker brought his tommy gun to bear, preparing to hose the crowd with it. The moment she thought it, an invisible sheet of force came up between the crowd and the Joker. He immediately cut his firearm loose, letting the ammo spray wildly, cackling all the while.

"Enaladab edapak eil ek kaahsop!" Aasha called out, summoning the latent mystical energies within herself, forcing them to alter reality to her whims. The clothing that she, Babs, and Deke wore shifted and rippled, going from the outfits they left the apartment in, and becoming the clothing they fought crime in, and this was most certainly crime which needed fought.

Barbara, in motion the instant she'd given the green light, dropped her small travel belt from around her waist. The moment her clothes changed into her costume, she pulled a smoke pellet from the belt and lobbed it. She'd timed it right, the pellet passing through where Deke had kept the force field up until just that instant.

Able to finally do some work, Deke stood up in the guise of Mustang, and first ripped the historic artifact from the Joker's hands, sending it skidding well away. He then flicked his hand, tagging the Clown Prince in the gut, doubling him over. [Leave the Joker to me!] Barbara warned over their link.

Fine, no problem, he'd brought backup anyway. Of course, the heroes had backup of their own. The female Meta stood up, her life changing irreversibly in that instant. Jade green ice grew across her skin, forming wicked talons at her fingertips and armoring her body in jagged shards and smooth curves, turning her into some kind of statuesque creature of both beauty and terror, reminiscent of both European monsters and Chinese imagery. With a sardonic tone, she baited the villains before her. "Who gets cut first?" she asked.

The boy with her, seeing her change, was moving too, rolling away and onto his feet with remarkable agility. He shoulder checked one of the thugs, this one armed with an Italian hilted rapier. Taken completely by surprise, the thug was overpowered and disarmed, leaving the suited young man striking a proper pose, and turning to threaten a machete armed thug.

"Now _that's_ how to get a party started!" The Joker cackled, drawing a pair of knives from his coat. He turned and slashed towards the periphery of the smoke cloud, and heard the sharp exhale of one of the Bats dodging out of the way. Immediately, he set himself up for the assault that was coming, but instead of a fist to the face, he took a footsweep. "Hello Batgirl!" he exclaimed, not having to see who it was, instead identifying technique. Batman would have punched him, Robin would have tried cutting him back (he loved the new Robin, so much better than the last few.) but Batgirl would try to outmaneuver him.

"You could knock me out," the Joker laughed. "But then how would you find my party favors?"

Barbara slipped from the smoke to have words with the Joker, her fists clenching tightly, when one of his cronies stepped to his side and dropped into a combat stance. "I outsourced my usual level of thuggery, let's see how you handle southern guffaw fist!" The Joker said, purposefully making shapes with his mouth to simulate bad dubbing.

Barbara shook her head and stepped in quick, bringing her arm up into what promised to be a hellish elbow strike. The comedy masked thug leaned out of her range at the last moment, and at the apex of her movement, whipped his upper body around into hard uppercut, sending her sprawling several feet back. She rolled to her feet and back in stance with a smooth grace, squared off against the masked thug.

Whoever they were, their first indication of identity came when, before taking their own stance, they placed their right fist over the left side of their chest. This was followed by moving into a stance reminiscent of old timey pugilism. "Savate." Barbara said through a sore jaw.

"Oui." The masked thug said, and waded in.

Across the room, Aasha was playing hell doing much good. There were too many innocent people in the room to really uncork the tempest in her teapot, so she relegated herself to tossing weak lightning at whatever stragglers she could. Of course, that 'weak' lightning was still several hundred thousand volts, more than enough to incapacitate whoever it struck.

"You!" The Joker called out to a massive thug wearing a grinning kabuki mask, while he fussed and fumbled with something in his coat pocket. "Make with the midget wrestling!"

"You did not." Aasha said, whipping herself into a dramatic turn. She held her hands before her, palms facing one another in a horizontal position, and began filling the air between her hands with arcs of electricity. She let that sphere of energy fly, and let it strike into the gut of the massive mook, where it seemed to slow him down, for a step or two.

"Oh bugger me." Aasha muttered, backing away from the unnecessarily cheerful looking sumotori who advanced on her with unwholesome intent. Three steps into her backpedal and she tripped over an upended table, sending her unceremoniously to her bottom. Instinctively, she wanted to overcharge the air around her aggressor, giving him a terminal static shock, but she bit her fear back and instead summoned a fireball to her hand.

She had no call to throw it though, as the green ice woman raked her claws across his back on a pass through. He cried out in pain and turned around to swing at her, but she'd already passed, moving predatorily towards another of the masked mooks.

Deke turned a second too late, about to rend the big thug with percussive force, but being beaten to the punch. His attention divided amongst the fleeing clubgoers, his fiancé and friend, all the mooks still standing, the sudden and random vigilantes, and the Joker, had left him with a hell of a time trying to balance everything mentally. It was overwhelming and prematurely exhausting, and it left him both open and vulnerable.

More than one of these thugs, always moving to protect the Joker, had landed solid hits on him, and the confusion made it difficult to mitigate the damage. Deke did the best he could, trying to shut out the Joker's mad cackling, and just kept swinging away, missing way more than he hit.

The unnamed boy finished with the machete wielding thug, and turned to face the Joker. He stepped in, his feet sliding together and then apart in advancement, a classic fencer's technique, but before he could properly engage with the villain, Batgirl shoved him from the side.

"What the hell?" he asked, furious at being checked like that. Sure, she was a Bat and this was Gotham, but he was here, and he and his love were helping. That _had_ to count for something.

"He's got something planned." Barbara scolded. "Leave him, once his help folds, he'll back off and we can stop the real problem."

"The real problem? Like the abysmal water quality, or the rigged elections, or maybe the terrible standard of care in Arkham? Those are real problems! Wait, I'm the one with problems." The Joker said, grabbing one of the evacuating club goers with his joy buzzer hand, sending a couple of million volts into the poor guy. He hit the ground sizzling and smoking, dead before gravity had even claimed him.

"Yeah, you've got problems alright." Barbara said, and squared off against the pasty faced psychopath. He snickered, his voice dropping low in register, and finally withdrew what he was after in his pockets. It paused the Batgirl, who slid away a foot or two with a measured gait.

"Here we go! You know the drill Bat-ette, dead man's switch, an oldie but a goodie. It'll definitely make for a real blast from the past!" he said, laughing like a hyena. He stepped straight in towards her, offering her his jaw. "Go ahead, put me down, make me drop it!"

[He's got the place rigged!] Barbara said over their link. She slid away another step and went to her belt for another smoke pellet. In a word, the Joker terrified her. Pure and simple, he scared her witless. In a straight up fight, she could mop the floor with him, but it was never a straight up fight. She couldn't outthink him, Bruce was close to reserving a room in Arkham for himself working on that fool's errand. It left her second guessing herself, hesitating, just like she was doing now.

The thug's foot smashed into her hip, sending her flying laterally. Barbara squealed out in pain, trying to rein it in. A palpable pressure filled the air at the sound of her pain, as though the air grew thicker. One by one, the thugs began doubling over, going sprawling, or becoming victims to Daeva and their impromptu allies.

Barbara spared a glance over her shoulder and saw her boy, a foot into the air, and hands outstretched in an almost Christ-like pose. "I've got your back, take this lunatic down." He said, his telekinetic reach leaving the Joker alone.

"We'll find the bombs!" The fencer called out as he scored several nicks on one of the remaining thugs. The statuesque jade creature grabbed another and tossed it aside like a ragdoll, before turning and striking a model's pose to speak over her shoulder.

"Have fun." She said, her voice hollow and echoing as though she spoke with three voices at once. She arched a sharp eyebrow and winked, before following her date down the hall.

With nobody left to tangle with, Aasha moved to check on the guests who hadn't been able to evacuate. One young man was most certainly dead from electrocution, something that particularly pissed her off. She wanted nothing more than to incinerate the grinning fool, but lives were at stake.

The Joker slashed out at Barbara with another knife, leaving Deke to wonder where in the hell he kept them all. With great pride, he watched his girl turn _just_ out of the way of it, putting her in line to snap a forearm shot into the Joker's face. She kept the assault up, using her left hand to grab him by the hair of the back of his head and dropped another forearm into his face, letting him sprawl on the ground. Without missing a beat, she executed a beautiful no-handed cartwheel over him, snatching his flower from his lapel as she did, and tossing it aside once she was back on her feet.

The Joker laughed maniacally on his back, mindless of the blood pouring from his mouth, and jerked his arm away. His laughter slowed as he realized nothing was happening. Giving it a glance, he saw that, in the midst of her quick assault, she'd smashed a foam capsule against his hand, effectively locking the dead man's switch into his grip. "Dirty pool Bat-bitch! Uncle J's gonna get his crowbar!" he said, and lashed his foot out, connecting with her shin.

When she fell, he used the opportunity to get up, but she kipped to her feet with ease, coming to a vertical stance the same time he did. The Joker swung at her, putting every bit of his slender frame into it, but she was prepared, and caught his strike, using his body as leverage to leap into the air and come down in a sitting position on his shoulders, taking him down in a lightning fast leg-scissor.

The idea of having the Joker's face between her legs was more offensive than she'd expected it to be, and for half a second, she wanted nothing more than to exert all the force her exceptionally strong legs could muster, and just end the psychopath once and for all. It wouldn't take much, just a squeeze, and a jerk of her hips, but where would she be after it? Who would she be?

Barbara did squeeze though, shifting her weight and using her leg muscles to choke Gotham's greatest menace out. It ceased his laughing in a few short seconds, but the last laugh might still be his.

"Those aren't bombs!" The rapier armed boy said, rushing back into the ballroom, not looking in the slightest bit winded. Whoever he was, he kept himself in excellent physical condition. "They're some kind of canisters, and they're rigged to the roof fountain."

"Y'all go, I'll handle things in here." Deke said, tipping his hat to the boy, before turning to look at the people in front of him. A few gestures and people were properly segregated between injured innocents, and injured not-so-innocents.


	20. Chapter 19

March 21st  
Gotham City  
2250 EST

The fencer led Barbara and Aasha into the top floor, where the pumping station for the roof fountain was located. Just as he'd said, there were over thirty canisters, looking like they came from scuba sets, painted in a jaunty green and purple, and emblazoned with a rictus grin, and all of them were tied into the pumps. With it still being so cold in Gotham, despite it being the first day of spring, the fountain wasn't running yet, meaning turning the pumps on would just push air.

"Daeva, I'll try to disarm these, I need you in the air. If these canisters release, it'll turn into a deadly fog bank, so keep the gas over the skyline. I'll probably need a second pair of hands, so you're recruited for that, fencer guy. Jade girl, go back up my, er, Mustang in the ballroom please." Barbara said, silently cursing herself for the slip, hoping they didn't notice it.

Aasha was out a window and aloft on the winds without a moment's hesitation. The cold Gotham air bit into her skin, but she pushed it aside, and instead focused on the rooftop fountain. With a flick of her hand, she summoned a small whirlwind, barely more than a dust devil, and held it there. In the event of the gas releasing, it would immediately channel it up, giving her time to seize control of the winds so she could contain it and carry it away from the city so she could disperse it over a huge volume of area in the Atlantic.

Down below, Barbara slipped an earpiece into her ear, and clipped a small camera and screen to the left side of her cowl. Once they paired, she triggered the comm unit on her belt.

"What am I looking at?" Bruce asked, seeing the feed pop up on the screen in the Batmobile. She was looking at some kind of radio controlled pressure release valve setup. He flipped a switch and put the Batmobile into auto-pilot, letting it run a patrol pattern.

"Laughing gas canisters tied to the Spire's fountain." Barbara said, her voice calm and icy. "I don't trust what I'm looking at."

"Good, you shouldn't." Bruce replied. He tapped the screen to blow it up into a full holo, and began inspecting it. "To your left," he said after a moment. "Now to your right. Okay, there's a binary release mechanism, you have to disarm both at the same time. Fail to do so, and those canisters are going to dump their contents in less than three seconds. Oh, there's also a conventional bomb beneath the regulators."

"I saw that." Barbara said, not letting it worry her, yet. "I was out with friends, so I only have my travel belt. No liquid nitrogen."

"Actually," the fencer said, thinking for a minute. "They have a jug at the bar, I saw them making steam drinks with it."

"Who's that?" Batman asked, hearing the boy's voice. He didn't recognize it, and that bothered him.

"Someone willing to help." Barbara countered, and shooed him away to go gather the nitrogen. "I've got Mustang guarding the Joker and his crew, and Daeva's in the air in case this all goes sideways."

Bruce replied calmly. "It won't. You're better at disarming than Nightwing and he could do this blindfolded. Take your time, trust your instincts. I'm on my way to collect the Joker." He said, not wanting anyone else dealing with the Clown Prince. The Joker was his cross to bear.

"Thanks Batman." Barbara muttered, and went about the task of following wires, to try and find a power source or capacitor. It wouldn't take much electricity to trigger the bomb, but the servo necessary to release the valve would require significantly more juice to operate.

First things first, she needed to close the valves to the canisters. Before she even touched one, she took the time to look, and saw mercury anti-tampers attached. Even the slightest twist on the valve would complete the circuit and start the whole thing. "Damnit." She muttered under her breath, realizing it would take longer than she had to disarm the whole assembly.

[Link's still up if you need to talk.] she heard her boy's voice say, his mental tone one of calm confidence. At the moment, he and the jade girl were minding the people, he was performing first aid on the injured, and she was busy tying thugs down. He didn't bother to ask how she got so good with knots, and why they all looked like professional dominatrix bindings.

[Not now, definitely later.] Barbara replied, still tracing wires. When she arrived at the power source, she saw several lantern batteries ran in parallel. He might be a psychopath, but the Joker was an excellent bomb maker. Each set of wiring ran into each other, setting up a loop. Cutting them would require cutting them all, and what made things worse is, there was another anti-tamper that ran to the conventional explosive.

"Here's the liquid nitrogen." The fencer said, setting the can down next to her. "Looks like we've still got some time too." He added.

"Time?" Barbara asked, looking where he was. A small digital readout was counting down from twenty-eight minutes, one that hadn't been live the last time she looked. "Shit. We're in trouble."

"Tell me what to do." The fencer said, tossing his suit jacket and rolling his sleeves up. He'd prepped to become a vigilante for a while, but he never considered bomb disposal.

"Okay, we have to do this in a very specific order." Barbara said, planning her route of attack out. "We have to neutralize the conventional explosive first, then we have to cut power to the servo, but we can't bump anything, or move any wires."

"Okay, well, I pour, you tell me where." He said, ripping the sleeves off his suit jacket and wrapping his hands with them to protect against the super-cold liquid.

And so, that's what happened. For several agonizingly long minutes, Barbara guided him on where to trickle the liquid nitrogen to freeze the batteries powering the plastic explosive. It had to be done slowly, to prevent contraction from affecting the wrong thing and setting the whole ordeal off.

Once finished, she pulled the battery pack carefully, bringing the detonator with it, before tossing it hard against the wall, where it shattered into a satisfyingly large number of tiny pieces. "Your spare." She heard from the doorway, turning to see Batman tossing her a belt.

"I'm taking the Joker, GCPD is handling the thugs. I've already given Mustang and the girl down there a dose of anti-venom." He said, and tossed a small auto-injector to the fencer. "Into the deltoid, then pull the trigger." Batman instructed.

"Want to stick around and help?" Barbara offered, laying the spare belt out in front of her.

"No, Joker wasn't acting alone. Half of his crew were listed in dossiers we found when the Penguin was raided. You've got this." Batman said. He didn't want to leave her like this, facing a problem of this magnitude, but as much as he hated to say it, the League was right, the new blood still needed tested.

"He always like this?" the fencer asked, checking the screen while he dosed himself with the very painful auto-injector. They made it look like no big deal in the movies. It was most certainly a big deal.

"Yeah, he is. Time?" Barbara replied.

"Eleven minutes." The fencer said, taking the wire cutters Batgirl offered him.

"That's not right." Barbara said with a scowl, ice crawling up her spine. The timer was fast. "It should have been closer to nineteen. Come here, quick." She instructed, and pointed out the lantern batteries. "We have to cut these simultaneously, and then we need to get out of here."

"Got it." The fencer said, and paid close attention to where Batgirl had told him to gather wire, doing so as slowly and smoothly as possible. Once they were both prepped and ready, she gave him a nod full of more confidence than she believed she had.

Behind the cowl and the oceanic eyes, Barbara was still fighting off terrors. Everything about the Joker scared her, forced her to second guess herself, and worse, make mistakes. Even with the anti-venom, this close to a concentrated dose of the stuff could still do irreparable harm. "On three. One, two, and three!" she said, clipping her set of wires and hoping his reflexes were just as good.

They were, mercifully. The power supplied from the lantern batteries was severed. Everything was good, until it wasn't. A surging noise met their ears, followed by a recording of the Joker's maniacal laughter. "Sorry Bats, this time you lose!" he said, cackling all the while.

"No, no no no no no no!" Barbara said, shoving the Fencer out of the way. The timer was counting down extremely fast, giving her less than twenty seconds to figure out the mechanism. Think Gordon, use your brains! What's his failsafe? How's he pushing this into the pumps without the batteries?

The pumps. That was it! He'd wired the whole assembly back into the pumps. Barbara slid back away from the cansters, grabbed the belt Batman had left her, and produced a batarang. She was in motion, moving one point six meters a second with exponential decrease in speed from friction. The wiring to the assembly was two point one meters from the ground, and at angle of twenty two degrees. The trunk cable was three centimeters wide. _Fuck it_. She let the Batarang fly on pure instinct, the razor sharp implement whizzing through the air with a whooshing sound.

An ugly metallic noise met their ears, forcing the fencer to drop to the ground to avoid the shower of sparks that erupted from the power line leading to the pump controls. The cackling ceased instantly as all power to the top floor began failing in cascade. He hazarded a glance, and saw there was two and a half seconds to spare. Way too damn close. 

* * *

"I don't know Commissioner, Batman seems to think there's more to it than this." Barbara said to her father, forced to keep appearances up. The Hazardous materials unit walked past, heading into the Spire. It was telling of the state of Gotham when that particular unit had a deeper understanding of how to handle Joker venom than perhaps the Joker himself.

Aasha and Deke stood beside her, watching the police go about their jobs. When the coroner came out pushing a stretcher covered in a black body bag, Aasha turned her eyes and buried her face in Deke's coat. He pulled her tighter, which earned him a sideways glance from Barbara's dad. He had faith Babs would explain any problems he had without giving away the kinds of details she wanted kept private.

"He'll keep us updated. The bomb squad said you did some incredible work on that device. You should be proud." Jim said to her, feeling that same pride. He knew some EOD guys from his time in Iraq, and had an idea of just how daunting that job really was.

"Thank you Commissioner. If there's nothing else, I need to get going. More work to do." Barbara said, and fired a line off, clearing the scene to give the media less to look at.

Deke tipped his hat, and Aasha smiled, both of them going aloft to follow Barbara. The three of them got well away from the scene, soaring through the steel canyons of the city. Coming to land on the roof of their apartment building, the three of them were able to avoid the dance to change clothes thanks to Aasha's sorcery, before slipping into their apartment. Deke, covered in blood from rendering aid to the hostages, ducked straight into the bathroom to bathe.

"I want to know who those two were." Barbara said, taking the memory card from her belt and plugging it into her laptop. "The girl might have had her meta-gene kick in tonight, but that boy looked like he'd been in training for a while."

"Obsessive much?" Aasha said, plopping down behind her girlfriend with a brush in hand. "If they wanted to introduce themselves, they would have."

"And I'm grateful for their help, oh that's nice." Barbara said, the moment Aasha put the brush to her fiery red hair. "I'm grateful for their help, but it's dangerous out there. I'm not being paranoid, I want to make sure if they need help, someone's able to give it."

"That's what I love about you Babs." Aasha said, leaning down to kiss her girlfriend on the top of her head. "You're like what would happen if Batman had a heart. You can relax you know." She added, whispering soothingly into Barbara's ear.

"No, I can't." Barbara argued, her fingers still working, flying over the keys in record time. She remote accessed the Batcomputer, and began checking to see if any nano-trackers were live, and of course they were because it was Batman and the man didn't trust his own toothbrush.

"Sure you can." Aasha cooed, trying desperately to get her girlfriend to calm down and breathe. "What's stopping you?"

"Deke's in the shower." Barbara said, watching the two teenager's movements. They were a couple of miles from the Spire now, and moving fast enough on the right path to indicate a train.

"What's that have to do with anything?" Aasha asked, now legitimately worried for her friend. She kept her brush busy, but there was a flutter in her stomach that she couldn't quell. Something terrible was bothering Barbara, and she was refusing to talk about it.

"Hey you two!" Deke said, stepping out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist. He'd planned on getting changed and making some sundaes, but Barbara, about as fast as they came without superpowers, was up and shoving him out of the way to get into the bathroom. With a surprised look of concern, he followed her in, and he was glad he did.

She felt a hand in her hair right before her dinner came up, and strong but gentle fingertips brushing errant wisps of her hair out of the way to keep it all free from her technicolor yawn. The fear and adrenaline had finally gotten the better of her, and keeping focused and busy had been the only thing keeping her from puking all over her laptop, or worse, Aasha.

Speaking of her, she also slipped into the bathroom, and wet a washcloth for her girl. Kneeling down beside her, she stroked Barbara's cheek gently, whispering reassuring words, all the while Deke was running his free hand up and down her back. Several spasms of her exceptionally strong abdomen later and her stomach was empty. With a long, hitching sigh, Barbara leaned away from the toilet. "I'm sorry you had to see that." She said, taking the wet washcloth and wiping her eyes and mouth.

"No, there's no apologizing." Deke said, using his telekinetic reach to float a bottle of mouthwash to his love. "What happened?"

"The Joker." Barbara said quietly. "He's one of three things that properly scare me. I tried to keep it under control, I wish I'd succeeded." She said, disappointed in herself for not being able to keep it in check. She'd come so close, so damn close.

"Come on," Aasha said, tugging on her arm. "Let's get you changed into your pajamas and we can talk about it."

Barbara was about to argue, to tell her girlfriend to go to hell because there would be no conversation, but she stopped herself. This wasn't like talking to that Starfire girl, or Arsenal, or whoever else. These were her lovers, people she was physically _and_ emotionally naked with. Aasha was right. "Okay, lets." Barbara said, getting to her feet, feeling lucky she had these two in her life.


	21. Chapter 20

March 26th  
Washington DC  
1030 EST

"You excited about this?" Maddie asked, leaning into Deke. He was standing there with he, and the rest of the team in full costume, looking at the original Hall of Justice. They were off to the left of the main crowd, behind the cordoned area, giving them a slightly better vantage point. "I'm excited about this."

"Yup." Deke drawled, absently aware that Aasha had slipped her small hand into his. He was going to say something to her, but there was no point, the veteran Movers had, at some point or another, all asked some variation on the question of who they thought they were fooling. They were all there, together, amongst a massive crowd at the League induction ceremony. The Movers had worked with many of the soon-to-be-inductees, and counted among them several friends and allies.

Fractal, in his full costume, stepped up alongside them. "Forgive my tardiness, but I wasn't about to leave the Hacienda until the work was completed." He said, leaving the statement hanging.

"You finished early?" Maddie asked, turning to look at him with a broad smile across her perfectly painted lips. Her excitement was plainly obvious, since it meant she had a home again.

"I did." Fractal said, looking dangerously close to smug. "I thought we'd have a 'family dinner' to christen the place."

"That's not how you christen a place." Maddie said with a saucy wink. "I'll get that taken care of, if _someone_ doesn't beat me to it." She added, elbowing her teammate in the ribs, causing Deke to squirm. Aasha snickered quietly and squeezed his hand before releasing it and bringing herself a foot and change into the air so that she could see properly.

"Hey, all I need to hear is food." Liho said, happy to see Maddie didn't seem uncomfortable around him anymore. Whether it was real or an act was still up for debate though. He'd learn more when Pacifica joined them. "All kind of reporters here. I think that's Cat Grant." He said, gesturing across the crowded assembly to the media section.

"Yeah, that's her, plus Iris West, and Lois Lane." Fractal said, the technology in his suit giving him a magnified view as well as facial recognition. "Several news organizations are here, but that's not surprising."

"I wonder if there's gonna be that many when they finally let us sit at the big kid's table?" Deke drawled, trying desperately to shut out the crowd. He finally understood why Aasha had been gripping his hand. It wasn't for affection (well, maybe some), it was to help him feel calm in the large group of people, something he still wasn't perfectly at ease with.

"Who cares?" Maddie retorted casually. "We're awesome and we know it. We don't need media to make us feel better."

"Far cry from your previous attitude." Fractal said. "But certainly commendable."

It was true too. At one point obsessed by the idea of being on the news, Maddie had since stopped caring at all. She'd discovered much more important things to care about, and validating herself on television ceased to carry the kind of weight it used to.

"Thanks. Oh hey, there's Superman." She said, pointing up to the sky. Indeed, the big man in blue was descending slowly, as Wonder Woman, Batman, the Flash, and Martian Manhunter exited the hall. They were surprised to see Superman land a couple of feet from the Podium, and the Flash take up the position. Apparently, they switched out mic duties. In short order, a large portion of the Justice League gathered in front of the Hall.

"Good morning." The Flash said, tapping the mic and of course, there was feedback. He winced, and let it pass, before continuing. "Since the founding of the Justice League, we've tried to handle every threat that comes to Earth, working together for the common good of everyone. When things get too tough, we've looked to those we've trained, and those who've stepped up to help in their own home towns. We've been selective, hoping to choose people whose abilities complement our own, or to fill a space we find ourselves lacking. We made a mistake along the way. We're just people too, and sometimes we make them, and the mistake we've made is not extending the invitation to these heroes sooner."

The crowd buzzed, the media more so. The immediate psychic resonance of the place was one of curiosity and excitement, which made sense given the announcement. "Aqualad, Miss Martian, Static, please come up." The Flash said, and from the side of the podium, the three heroes walked up. Kaldur looked no different, but Virgil had finally put together a proper costume. Blue and gold like his mentor, his suit covered him head to toe, with a cutout to let his hair free, and an almost Bat style facemask. Over it, he'd added a long coat in similar colors. M'gann also showed up looking different, with a costume which was colored very similar to her previous, but with elements of armoring to give her a more dangerous look, though her bright, easy smile betrayed the look.

"They look so badass." Liho remarked, watching them cross up the stairs to the podium, almost like a graduation ceremony. The Movers all agreed, watching it from their vantage point. On occasion, someone from the crowd would glance over, a few pointing at Aasha while she floated off the ground to see better. When it happened, whoever noticed them would give a smile or wave.

"We'll be up there one day." Kris said, a truly rare moment of bold confidence for him. "All of us, at once. It will be an incredible day." He added, his beaming smile seeming very out of character for him.

"Mein bruter," Deke began slowly, still working on his command of German. "Wir sind dann helden."

"Jawohl mein bruter. Sehr gut." Kris said, offering his knuckles. "We will be heroes."

"Bugger that," Aasha scolded while the boys bumped knuckles, Liho's massive fist getting in on it. "We _are_ heroes."

"Damn right chick." Maddie said.

March 26th  
Destin Florida  
1500 CST

The rest of the induction ceremony had been about what one would expect. Media clamored for something, _anything_ from any of the members of the Justice League, and of course, it fell to Green Arrow to issue a closing statement. He had dealt with media extensively as Oliver Queen, so it was no surprise there.

Following the ceremony, the League went in and up to the Watchtower for the customary party to welcome their new members. They'd invited the Movers, but of course, they had plans of their own. Liho had some fishing to do, and Deke was busy in the market. Kris had forbidden any of them to enter the Hacienda until the proper reveal, so it left him, Maddie, Aasha, and Ingrid to drive around the city picking up a few things for the event. Kris had been able to put together a lot of things for the place, but there was a limit to what raw materials he had. Fortunately, for quartering, there wasn't as tight a limit on the budget. Simple things, like towels, detergent, bedding, and other sundries still needed gathered.

"So, nobody at all?" Maddie asked Ingrid as they walked through the aisles of a housewares store. When she'd found out that Ingrid's powers required maintaining chastity, it had become game on for the interrogation.

"Nope, nobody, ever." Ingrid said, playing along like a champ. She'd told Aasha not to worry when the small woman tried scolding her teammate about pestering.

"So, no loopholes? Like, you couldn't give a blowjob or get eaten? And what about with another girl?" Maddie said, at this point trying to do her best to see a bright side. She gave no concern whatsoever to the other patrons of the store who happened to hear her questions, or if she did, it wasn't enough to stop.

"Would you risk it?" Ingrid asked, picking up a towel and feeling it, to form an opinion on it. "And I'm not into girls anyway."

"Self-maintenance then? C'mon, you have to have some kind of out here." Maddie said, watching the redheaded girl set the towel back down after making a face at it.

"Mercifully, that's acceptable." Ingrid said, giving her something at least, as they moved through the different sections. "I'd be a horrible person otherwise."

"Oh good. So I take it you still get urges though, right?" Maddie asked, running her fingertips across a series of bedsheets, stopping on a set of Egyptian cotton, before looking at the price tag. Kristof would have kittens if she tried asking for them.

"Oh yeah, pretty much on the regular. My drive didn't vanish, that'd be too easy." Ingrid remarked; taking another look at the sheets Maddie was lusting after. "You know, I could make these, right?"

"You can?" Maddie asked, baffled. How in the hell did that even work?

"Yeah, I can operate a loom like a champ. When I was little, I picked up a _lot_ of middle ages skills while traveling with my dad. I can weave, sew, smith, build, hunt, and brew. I'm extremely self-sufficient."

"You are seriously awesome." Maddie said with a nod. "What do you need to make this happen?"

Ingrid pondered that, catching Kristof's eye and giving him a small wave. He'd leaned around a corner to check on them, to make sure Maddie wasn't driving her up a wall with her rather vulgar questions. "About four hundred dollars."

"That's more expensive than these sheets." Maddie said with a frown.

"Sorry, I didn't clarify. That would be enough to make a set for everyone, assuming we have king sized beds." Ingrid replied. "It'd take me a while, but if we can live for a few months on basic stuff, I can get us taken care of."

"Yes please." Maddie said enthusiastically, loading their cart with the cheapest sheets she could grab that didn't feel horrible. "I guess you need to keep yourself busy, huh?"

Ingrid nodded. "Not as much now that I'm out of my teens, but the habit stuck with me. I kind of hate most television, so I have a lot of free time." 

* * *

Across the store, Aasha and Kris were busy trying to make up their minds about kitchenware. Nobody discussed this kind of thing when it came to being super heroes, the absurd banality of what they did when villains weren't plaguing someplace or another. "I think Maddie's made a new friend." Aasha said, glancing over at the two.

"I believe you're right." Kris replied. "Speaking of _friends_ , I saw you clutching to Deacon this morning. Is that something you should be doing in public?"

Aasha blushed furiously at the statement, leaving her standing there holding a tall, narrow pasta pot. "Well, actually, yes, in this case it is. You know how he is with crowds. That's not a secret at all."

"No, I suppose it isn't." Kristof replied, taking the pasta pot and setting it back on the shelf, otherwise Aasha would stand there holding it until the place closed. "I don't want to see anything unpleasant occur is all."

"Oh, that's not a problem. We know our boundaries. I'm sad Babs will be around less often for a while, until she can get accustomed to the new members." Aasha said honestly. The fact that she was still living with her and Deke in Gotham for the time being was still under wraps, for very obvious reasons named Madeline. "I liked having her around."

"I think Gotham might like having her around more." Kris said. "But I know what you mean, and I agree with you. Are _you_ happy though Aasha?"

"That's a silly question to ask. I'm rather happy Kris. I've got everything I want and need. I'm loved, respected, and cared for. My emotional and physical needs are met, and I'm challenged properly in life. I'm not complaining, but this is very unlike you to ask things like this, why the change?" Aasha asked, still blushing. She might be a goddess come walk the Earth, but underneath it, she was still a meek woman.

Kris sighed, blowing a tuft of hair from his face before it looked too close to World War two for his own tastes. It might be time for a change of style, to match his shift in attitude. "I had a very large falling out with my family recently, large enough that I probably won't be welcome at home for quite a while, and it gave me oooof, that's quite a grip you've got." Kris said, interrupted by a hug from his teammate. She looked up at him with her big brown doe eyes, concern welling within them.

"Are you okay?" She asked, still not letting him go.

Kris nodded, trying to extricate himself from Aasha's surprisingly strong grasp. "Yes, actually, it gave me perspective. None of you ever judged me, or questioned me. You just accepted me. It's reminded me where my family really is, so I've decided to stop restraining myself quite so much. All of you have given me much more than I've given you, and I want to change that."

Aasha sniffled and wiped her eyes on her forearm before squeezing him again. She was far too shy to admit she'd been hitting the gym more frequently, since her primary aim was to develop a proper bottom while she was at it. Developing a much more proper hug was just a nice bonus. "We're here for you, and I think Ingrid might be especially so."

Kris nodded at that. "Yeah, I noticed that. We'd actually make a funny pair. She can't have sex and I'm not particularly interested in it. That's definitely compatible, but she doesn't know everything about me either. The veterans don't much care how I'm plumbed, but she might."

"Well, we have dinner tonight to meet and greet. You said Scramble was showing up tonight too?" Aasha said, finally releasing Kristof.

"Yes. This will also be the first real gathering with Maddie and Pacifica since Hawaii. If you've ever wondered why I don't particularly care for sex, well, this is the answer. Too much trouble." Kris replied.

"Maddie and Pacifica don't have issues because of sex Kris, that's love, or something close." Aasha corrected him gently. "And I'm praying things go well. We can't have them spitting and hissing at one another, it would be a horrid mess."

"A solar powered alien and an Atlantean sorceress having territorial pissing matches would certainly ruin the work I've put into the Hacienda." Kris replied, picturing just how messy that would get. Captain Atom had given him a briefing the Green Lantern had written about Nishian physiology and abilities, explaining how they were so adaptable. It would eventually not go well for Pacifica, if she didn't fry Maddie first. Neither were particularly suitable outcomes.

"I think it'll go better Kris." Aasha said, grabbing a rather large blender from the clearance bin. "I have to believe that. Pain is a temporal thing after all."

"You sound like you're speaking from firsthand knowledge." Kris replied, surreptitiously sending a couple of his microscopic helpers into the blender box to check it over and see if it needed repairs.

"Well of course I am, silly boy. We all have our crosses to bear. I think that's why we work together as well as we do. No judgment, because we've all got something to judge." Aasha retorted, her prim accent somehow making her words carry a greater gravity.


	22. Chapter 21

March 26th  
Destin Florida  
1730 CST

Following their shopping and other resource gathering, the team gathered outside of the new and improved Hacienda. Kris hadn't given out keys yet, meaning when Deke arrived, he saw Liho sitting on a large cooler, while Pacifica was sitting behind the privacy fence on a chair which seemed made of solid water. The three of them sat there, shooting breeze for a while, taking in what they could see of the layout.

The original Hacienda was still there, though it was a full story taller, and also stretched well into the lot to the left, where an old house had stood. The roof had an access point, and was set up like a deck, white painted wood railing and pergola contrasting tastefully with the fresh coat of tan paint to cover the original faded blue of the building.

The original garage had come down, and was replaced with a building almost the size of the original place. This one had several garage bay doors, and the boxes which contained the parts of the helicopter they'd been given sat carefully out on top of that building. Kris had never gotten around to putting the thing together, but with additional teammates, the need was apparently greater.

The original plain blacktop driveway had been completely removed, and now stained cement squares with paving stone separations, set the stage for where vehicles would be parked. The entirety of the ordeal had gotten a new upgrade in a tall metal fence with a computer controlled security gate, though behind the black metal there stood a slightly less tall privacy fence. All in all, it looked exactly like it was supposed to, a private meteorological research lab.

The rest of the team pulled in a bit later, and when Kris exited his car, he had an extremely pleased look on his face. He didn't even bother with the purchases, instead going straight to the door. (Pragmatism might have won here, as there was fresh fish in the cooler, and he had no clue how much in groceries from Deke.)

"Time for the big reveal." He said, and threw the door open. All nine of them pushed and shoved each other, trying to fit into the place at once, Aasha used her small size to her advantage and got in first. When she saw her paintings adorning the walls, she beamed with pride. None of them were particularly good, just quick pencil sketches with splashes of watercolor, they were closer to fashion sketches than proper paintings.

The downstairs walls were painted in a sun-bleached white while the floors were tiled in a similar style, though splashed with teal and sea green. The furniture matched the walls, but the throw carpets added color to prevent a stark tone. Like before, the door opened to face the home part, with kitchen to the right and living space to the left.

Deke nodded approvingly at the exposed kitchen. Nearly twice the size, with a full compliment of professional equipment, sorcery could be performed within it. The tile on the island which separated the kitchen from the dining area had changed though, from black and white to dusty desert oranges and reds.

"Your room assignments are simple. Pick one." Kris said with a generous gesture. He piped back up quickly though, to shut down what he knew would be coming. "All of the bedrooms sit on the same side of the building, facing the water, there's absolutely no difference between them."

"Where the locker room brah?" Liho asked, since where the entrance had once stood, there was now a big empty space with four support columns, with their gym equipment plus some extra lining the walls, save for a large chunk of space reserved for washers and dryers.

"No need any longer." Kris said cryptically. He then watched them do the Christmas run in reverse, heading up the stairs like a pack of wild dogs. He counted to five in his head slowly before hearing Maddie complain loudly.

"Private bathrooms? What the hell is this Kris? You're killing me here! How do I perv on my teammates now?" She yelled down, her volume dropping while she continued to bitch about it good-naturedly. Kris followed his team up, willing to take last pick, since like he'd said; there was at this moment absolutely no difference between the rooms.

To facilitate the view, that extra story had been required, but hearing the way the team went on about the massive windows and small deck made it worthwhile. When Kris picked his own room, he took a minute to admire his work once the contractors had left. He'd used his nano army to break down everything into microscopic parts, before reforming it where he wanted, following the script he'd written on his wrist computer. Each room had a small wardrobe, desk, and bookshelves as part of a whole wall unit. The beds, king sized and developed ground up by Kris, were almost a part of the building themselves, ensuring that no amount of action would cause squeaking or banging (a necessity given their experiences previously). The mattresses were made of a gel foam, another development of his by using plastic drink bottles, broken down almost to vapor, before rebuilding them on a molecular scale into the air filled gel.

All in all, they were certainly made to be comfortable, because this was a home after all. He was unsurprised to see Pacifica and Liho take rooms next to one another, and similarly not at all shocked when Aasha chose the room next to Deke. 

* * *

After the excitement of exploration wore off, the Movers found their way up to the roof, where Liho and Deke, the resident cooks, began working their mojo. With the sun sitting low in the sky, the humid air was cooled by the ocean breeze, giving the heroes a much appreciated comfortable climate. Kris began messing with the stereo system, trying to dial in a station that didn't cause anyone to make a horrible face. This was made all the more difficult by the fact that he and Aasha loved metal, Deke preferred classic rock and country, and Maddie liked hip-hop and rap.

He settled it by taking advantage of having a satellite receiver and technopathic abilities, and catching the Chill station on XM. Nobody complained, but nobody was perfectly happy either, it was the classic compromise. The argument on music soon dwindled away as the food began to happen, something Kris had fully expected to happen.

"I have you figured out." Pacifica said to him, slipping onto the sofa next to him. Kristof looked at the Atlantean woman with a raised eyebrow, not sure exactly what she meant by it, since there were a few ways for him to take it. At his quizzical reaction, she continued. "You act aloof, try to distance yourself, but everything you have done to this point has been for all of us. I too understand the often crushing weight of my station, and it allows me a certain ability to recognize it in others."

"It's amusing that you say that," Kris said, glancing to one of the other wicker sofas, where Ingrid, Aasha, and Maddie were currently engaged in Snapchat filter selfies. "I'm trying to give up some of that distance. I don't need it, not like I used to, and I certainly don't want it either."

"This is good, Fractal. What will you do for yourself then?" Pacifica asked, absently sipping her drink.

Kris wasn't perfectly prepared to explain himself to Pacifica, not yet anyway. He wasn't going to lie though, so his answer was cryptic. "I'm in the process already." He said, referring to his plan for reassignment surgery.

"Do not let any of us keep you from it then. Sometimes, a leader must see to themselves, or else they are of no use otherwise." She said, patting him on the knee with an easy, warm smile. For a woman who could walk into a room and command all eyes on her without saying a word, she could be remarkably personable.

"Hey, someone coming." Liho said while he worked on dinner. He and Deke had been muscling each other out of the way of the space, which had already told Kris he needed to use his 'little helpers' to change things up here before they tried it again.

Ingrid turned the music down, and for a moment, there was silence. Everyone looked at one another, and then towards Liho and Deke. One had enhanced hearing, the other could hear thoughts, and it was plain both of them were listening. Another minute passed before the rest of them could hear anything beyond the ambient noise of the beachside city.

A sharp whistling mixed with a wooshing sound began growing in volume, coming from the south. They, as a whole, leaned over the south side railing and looked out over the ocean. Off in the distance, a fan trail of water flew up, and was heading straight towards them. "That must be Scramble." Kris said.

Before anyone could even answer, a rush of wind blew napkins and other small bits off tables, and suddenly, in their midst, stood a new person. Dressed head to toe in a black and green morph suit, which left no part of their body exposed, stood a medium height and slender built individual. Aside of a thin belt around their waist, there were no markings, just a simple pattern of green with black striping.

"Hi!" this person signed by making a saluting motion. They waited, watching to see who'd translate. He'd been told the team had two sign language speakers. When the big man at the grill spoke up, he continued. "I'm Scramble, I'm happy to be here and pleased to meet all of you. I can read lips too."

Again, Deke translated, happy Scramble was thoughtful enough to slow down his hands. He'd taken all the sign language classes offered at Gotham U, and had to practice pretty frequently at his clinic, but he wasn't exactly fluent yet. Instead of making Scramble read lips though, he signed in response, speaking along for the rest of the team's benefit. "We were worried you weren't going to show. Was it a rough trip?"

"I helped an oil tanker stop sinking somewhere near Cuba. Nothing dramatic." Scramble signed nonchalantly.

Again, Deke translated, and replied. "As long as it was nothing important." He signed with a wink. "Let me introduce everybody."

"I was well prepared actually." Scramble signed. "So just to make sure I've got this right, you are Mustang?" he signed, fast spelling instead of making the sign for horse. Deke nodded in agreement, still translating. "The big man next to you is Koa, the tall woman is Pacifica, and she's sitting next to Fractal. The three women on the other couch are, from left to right, Daeva, Shield Maiden, and Godiva."

"You nailed it." Deke said and signed with a nod.

"Excellent. I've got shorthand for everyone, if that's okay?" Scramble said. Deke translated, and the speedster watched everyone's reactions before illustrating.

"Same order then. Here's you." Scramble said, pointing at Deke, and using his hands to gesture like a pair of pistols, which was the sign for Cowboy. Deke snickered at that, and signed in agreement.

Scramble held his hands apart at shoulder width, making letter K's with both hands. "This is Koa." He said simply. He watched Deke explain the meaning behind it, and saw the big man have an equally big laugh about it.

Scramble then looked at Pacifica. "I know this isn't exactly fitting, but it's close enough I hope." He signed, and then made a letter P, and tapped his right shoulder, followed by his left, and then his waist. Again, Deke explained the significance, which seemed not to bother her in the slightest.

"I had a hard time with you Fractal." Scramble said, and then made the letter c with each hand, before moving them opposite each other. "It's an old version of computer." He explained.

"I am not at all bothered." Fractal replied in sign. "I like it."

Scramble signed "Good." To him, and then looked to the three girls. "Daeva, you might appreciate this one." He said, and made a letter D at shoulder height, and then zigzagged it to his hand.

She appeared to giggle and clap, and looked straight at him, speaking and enunciating clearly. "I get that one, that's awesome! Thank you!" she said.

Scramble gave her a thumbs up, and moved to Ingrid. "Shield Maiden, here's you." He said, and made the letter S and making a gesture like drawing a sword from a sheath and making a z shaped pattern in the air.

Deke translated her response, an emphatically positive awesome. Scramble nodded and finally got to Godiva, who just pointed to herself and held her hands out in the very universal sign for large breasts. "If that's what you want." Scramble signed.

Through Deke she replied. "I'll have an easier time realizing you're talking to me, and I really don't mind at all." She said, and then offered him a red plastic cup.

"No thanks. I," he signed, then paused a minute. "I can't actually stay. It's a long story you don't want to hear. I'll be here whenever the team needs me though, don't worry about that at all."

His body language was extremely guarded, and he went from open and friendly to closed off and shy in an instant. "I'll just borrow the Zeta if that's okay."

"By all means, feel free." Kris signed. He glanced at Deke once their speedster went downstairs, at a much more normal pace. Deke only shook his head with a worried expression on his face.

They could faintly heard the Zeta system recognize him, and sat quietly for a moment afterwards. "He's got something holding him back." Deke said, finally breaking the silence. "You know I ain't gonna look, but I didn't have to. He doesn't want anyone knowing who he is. Also, he wasn't born deaf."

"How do you know this?" Pacifica asked. Atlantean biotech completely eliminated that particular handicap from their society.

Deke turned the fish on the grill, thinking how to word it for a minute. "At the clinic, one of our patients was born deaf, so their whole life, they've only communicated in sign language. Because it's an interpretive language, their thought process is different. You do it too, since your first language was Atlantean. Scramble still thinks like he's speaking English, using words and grammar that ASL just doesn't have."

"Who cares as long as he's got our backs?" Ingrid asked. "Everyone's allowed their secrets."

Deke nodded. "Yeah, sorry, living and working in Gotham has me a little cynical, and being around the Bats tends to breed a certain kind of suspicion." He explained, getting out of Liho's way so they could keep cooking.

He didn't say anything, but he'd have a conversation with Babs when he got back home. There was more to this guy than he'd shared with his team. Certain clues that led him to make assumptions he didn't feel like admitting to.


	23. Chapter 22

March 26th

Destin Florida

2110 CST

Deke was sitting quietly in his room after dinner, not to be anti-social, but to avoid disturbing anyone. He was in the process of tuning his guitar, an old hand-me-down Paul Reed Smith that Babs and Aasha had gone halves on for his birthday last year at one of the very few truly reputable pawn shops in Gotham. It had certainly seen better days, but the thing still sang true.

Sitting there, his guitar in his lap, and with headphones running from the small effects processor they'd also gotten him, he pondered what he was doing. For the past three years, he'd been writing music when nobody was around to hear him do it. Not out of fear or shame, he was for the most part beyond that. No, it was a work in progress, an album of songs inspired by his friends and family, and it wasn't ready to be heard yet.

About to put pick to strings, he was interrupted by a very persistent thought pattern outside his door. With a puzzled look, he pulled his headphones off, and heard knocking. The mind belonged to Aasha, without a doubt, though there was no distress coloring her thoughts. "Come in!" he called out, setting his guitar to the side. He'd been at this project for three years, what was another few hours?

Aasha slipped in, almost shyly, and closed the door quietly behind her. There were enough snickers and sidelong glances from Maddie, she didn't need more. "When did you want to go back to Gotham?" she asked, climbing into his bed and sitting facing him at the foot of it.

"Don't have to," Deke said. "Babs texted me an hour ago, she's pulling an all-night patrol tonight. Something about Batman not being in town. I figured we'd head home tomorrow if you didn't need to be there tonight."

Aasha shook her head with a little smile. "No, I don't have anything to do tonight. Did I interrupt you, by the way?"

"Naw," Deke drawled. "Come here." He said, and gestured for her. The small Indian woman crawled her way towards his open arms, and let herself get pulled into a hug, which she took part in by snuggling into him. She laid there for quite a while quietly, just listening to his breathing and heartbeat, until he began stroking her hair, his fingertips tickling the back of her neck.

She tensed for a moment, and put a hand on his. "Could you please not do that." She asked, and while she made the request with a small giggle and a sweet tone, he could feel a current of trouble beneath her words.

Stopping immediately, he pulled his hands away. She took them both and interlaced her fingers into his, before kissing him delicately on the chin. His confused look told her all she needed to know, and with a small frown, she explained why she'd asked. "I'm sorry, please don't be upset, it's just, well, that turns me on."

"Really? I didn't know, my bad." Deke said, not at all trying to tease the girl. "Anything else I should know?"

Aasha shook her head. "No, my neck is just one of my spots I suppose. It's well and good when it's not just us of course, but like now, if you wouldn't mind."

"Well sure," Deke drawled. "Is that why you wear that choker all the time back home?"

"You noticed that?" Aasha said a bit curiously. She continued when he nodded at her. "Not exactly, no. Sod it, I have no reason to be coy. I only wear that when I'm around both you and Babs, specifically the both of you."

"Uhm, okay." Deke said, not exactly getting it.

Aasha took in a breath, which he could feel quite acutely what with her still laying atop his chest. "Babs knows, because of course she does, but, well, I rather enjoy _pleasing_ the both of you, if you understand my meaning."

"Well, I mean, I'd noticed, and I wasn't about to complain about it." Deke said, demonstrating his remarkable density for a psychic.

"No love, not that. I'm a little bit of a sub, and while you and Babs don't exactly have that kind of relationship with each other, or with me, it's something I like for myself." Aasha explained.

"Who in the hell called you a side bitch? I swear I'll whoop they ass." Deke said, his accent thickening in an instant. "Ain't nobody deserve that kinda disrespect."

"No no no no no! No, not that." Aasha said, suddenly taken aback by the protective fury he seemed to draw out of nowhere. "Not substitute love, submissive."

"Oh okay. Wait, what?" Deke said, calming quickly before getting hit with another round of confusion. "Ash, sweetheart, I swear I'm just not gettin' this, I'm sorry hon."

Aasha shook her head softly. "I actually very much enjoy feeling subservient. It's more emotional than physical, but I kind of get off pleasing you both. I feel safe and cared for, so I'm comfortable acting like that around you both. The best part is, neither of you need to take pains about it, just keep being yourselves I suppose. I'm not really interested in a more traditional dom/sub relationship. I'll put on a choker for you two, but I'm not really sure how I feel about someone else collaring me. That might be a bit far."

"Okay, I still don't really get it exactly, but I think I get it enough." Deke said, kissing her on the top of her head. "It really does it for you?"

"Oh yes love, very much so. I'm happily satisfied by seeing the results of my work when we go to bed. I suppose it's a bizarre ego trip or something. Had you never wondered why I insisted on doing dishes and laundry all the time?"

"You said you didn't wanna be a TV houseguest, I just assumed that's how you were pitchin' in." Deke said with a shrug.

"Well, there's that too. Honestly, it's part of why I felt comfortable with actually going through with it. I realized how happy it made me, bringing smiles to you both, and other fun faces of course. That's when I decided I might as well admit it to myself." Aasha said, still curled up on his chest. It was one of the benefits of being so small, being able to cuddle up in all manner of interesting ways.

"Okay, cool, so I don't like, need to do anything?" Deke asked, trying desperately to wrap his head around things.

"No, not at all. Just be you, just like you are." Aasha said, slipping off of his chest and curling up into his side. Truth be told, she'd eaten like a cow, and was feeling much sleepier than she normally would at the hour. Of course, her concept of eating like a cow still left Liho looking distressed at the lack of food on her plate.

Deke nodded and rolled onto his side, wrapping her up into a close embrace. Cooing happily, she nuzzled into his arm and shoulder. "So, you said you feel safe around us?" he asked, and it warmed her heart that of all the things she said, that was what he took away from it. It certainly reinforced her decision.

"I do. I might be able to throw lightning and sunder the Earth, but when I look in the mirror, I still see a very small woman, and I suppose that's how I'm always going to feel. Having the both of you welcome me into your homes and hearts, that's a very special feeling." Aasha said with an adorable yawn, his body heat joining her full stomach and making her extra drowsy.

"You'll always have a place in our homes and hearts sweetie." Deke said, her drowsiness apparently contagious. "Like it or not, we're all entangled now."

Aasha carefully rolled over, to look him in the face. "That was both profound and ominous." She said, regarding him with a curious expression. Despite his occasional density, at a level which could rival a black hole, he was still intelligent, smart enough to be able to handle the course load for his education. He could still occasionally surprise her.

"Sorry, didn't mean it to be." Deke said with a yawn. "So, you lookin' to crash in here?"

"I wasn't until you invited me up here." Aasha said, feeling perfectly warm and cozy. Something she'd had a hard time resolving was how comfortable her lovers were, with their physiques being as solid as they were. Her emotions might have had something to do with it. "Now I think I don't have another option."

"There's a couple of your shirts in my bag." Deke said, making a few simple gestures and summoning one of her tee shirts to his hand. He knew she preferred to sleep in panties and a shirt, if she slept in anything at all, so making sure he had something handy for her had been relatively easy. While he could behave himself with a naked Aasha in his bed, he didn't need to hear it from the team if they had to be alerted quickly.

She snickered at him and unfastened her shorts before shucking them off, leaving her in a pair of mint green bikini cut panties. Of course he watched her undress, she was right there after all, but he kept his hands behaved. Despite having been inside her on a few occasions, their frequent close proximity had meant they couldn't have the same freedom to play that she enjoyed with Barbara. "Having fun?" Aasha asked as she slipped her shirt off to undo her bra.

"Well yeah." Deke said matter-of-factly, watching her free her modest bust from their support. Not that she needed it, the fact that she'd paid for her small breasts meant they weren't affected by gravity near as much as someone with a more generous bust. He took her bra and set it off to the side, before handing her the shirt he'd brought for her.

Aasha slipped into it and smoothed it out. "This is actually one of Babs' shirts, she gave it to me. It still smells like her." She said, pulling the fabric away from her chest to prevent any accidental teasing. Deke kept his room positively frigid, and she was heading into her time off of the Alprazaline, which did as much a number on her hormones as it did to Babs. Worse, really, since Babs could get sex a lot more frequently.

"That's her excuse for taking all of my shirts." Deke said in an amused tone. "I bought a hoodie last fall specifically because I knew she'd take it."

"I guess it's different for boys." Aasha said, laying back down on Deke's bed. "I'd probably steal your clothes too if they weren't so large. I do have my eye on that really tight plain white tee shirt of yours; it'd make a positively comfortable dress."

"Take it, I know the one you're talking about. I bought it at a swap meet in Chinatown, it's way too small. Babs says it smooshes her boobs." Deke said, slipping out of bed to change. He lacked pretty much all the coordination, so changing while sitting in bed was as much an act of swapping clothes out as it was an exercise in dodging for Aasha.

"That's all you had to say." Aasha said, leaning up on her arm to watch Deke get out of his clothes. He turned his back to her, which he might have thought was an act of decency, but it really wasn't. Aasha had no doubt what kinds of things Babs found attractive about him, and she was looking at part of it. When he removed his shirt, the muscles in his back rippled and shifted in a way that caught and held her attention.

"Actually, I think I'm gonna take a shower." Deke said, pulling the elastic band out of his hair and shaking his mane loose. Behind him, Aasha's eyes narrowed into something hungry. If he was teasing her intentionally, she was going to be quite upset.

"Have fun, there's like twice the room in there that we had in the old stalls." Aasha said, stretching out comfortably on her back. She swished her feet back and forth, opening and closing a V shape as she did.

"I won't be long," Deke drawled, and stepped into the small bathroom that was actually his and all his. (Who was he fooling, he was going to have to keep stuff in there for Babs and Ash and he knew it.)

Once the door shut, Aasha went to toss a pillow at the door out of frustration. She even had it in her grip and her arm cocked back when his phone began playing a song, Barbara's assigned ringtone. She grabbed his phone and flicked a finger across the screen to answer the video call.

"Hi Ash." Barbara said, dressed for her usual evening activities in Gotham. "You look comfortable."

"I am." Aasha said primly. "Where are you?"

"Currently, in the Batmobile, mostly being a deterrent by cruising around and being noticed. Where's our boy?" Barbara asked. She'd called to talk for a little while during her patrol, nothing truly pressing. Not getting him though was a bit of a surprise.

"Bathing," Aasha said a bit more sourly than she probably meant to. She couldn't help but picture it in her mind, and with the mind's eye of an artist, the picture was vivid. "I came over to talk for a minute and I somehow got conned into sleeping over here."

Barbara giggled at her evaluation of the evening. "Welcome to my world. Is that the shirt I gave you by the way?"

"It is. It's dreadfully comfortable." Aasha said, panning the camera down a bit to show Babs. "And it's a perfect fit."

"I see you're a victim of the refrigerator he sleeps in too." Barbara said, noticing Aasha's small peaks poking out proudly. She set the car to an automatic patrol pattern and got comfortable. Bruce had, on more than one occasion, had dinner and slept in the car while it drove itself. Barbara didn't find the seats quite comfortable enough for that, but they weren't exactly made for her either.

"That too, yes. I don't know if he's doing it on purpose but he keeps flipping my switch tonight." Aasha complained. "Does he do that to you?"

"All the time, yeah, and no, it's not on purpose. In his head he's still over three hundred pounds, no matter what you try to tell him. I think that's one of the things I fell in love with him over actually. He's the complete opposite of vain." Barbara said, in a small way surprised she wasn't feeling territorial at Aasha's admission.

"Okay, I'm not mad then. I was certain he was trying to mess with me." Aasha replied, halfway wishing she'd sprung for bigger implants so she could rest the phone against them. The mental picture was cartoonish and funny though.

"No, but mess back, have fun with it. Batman's out of Gotham for the next week or so, it's just me and Robin, which pretty much means it's just me. Between this and school, I'm going to be worthless at home." Barbara suggested, watching the car turn itself down Miller Avenue.

"Are you suggesting I tease him? That's not very nice." Aasha remarked. If he'd been doing it to her intentionally, she'd have no qualms about returning fire, but happenstance was happenstance, and it didn't merit that.

Barbara shrugged, opening a thermos and taking a sip of tomato soup. "It's not nice if you don't own up. That's just downright bitchy."

"Am I following you correctly here?" Aasha asked, trailing her question off. Babs had specifically forbade Aasha from sleeping with Deke alone, and had been perfectly willing to adhere to the same rule when it just the two girls. It was he who said he was okay with them having a go without him. Only once had she lifted that rule, when she was stuck in Tokyo on his birthday, and even then, Aasha and Deke had only fooled around a few minutes before it felt weird, and stopped to go watch a movie instead.

"Yeah, you are." Barbara said with a bewitching smirk. She was already far too tired to engage in proper sex, and it was only going to get worse. Having something fresh on hand for private moments was worth not getting to be there in person. "Leave the phone on."


	24. Chapter 23 (न म ब also neans Lemon)

March 26th  
Destin Florida  
2150 CST

Deke exited the bathroom with his pajamas already on, and a towel around his shoulders. He'd taken the time to groom his stubble, making his five o'clock shadow seem a bit classier. He still wasn't sure how he felt about it, but he was willing to try the look for a while and see how it grew on him.

"You already asleep?" He asked quietly, noticing a small Aasha sized bundle under the blankets. He asked the question in a low voice in the event she was asleep, so that he didn't wake her.

"No, I'm awake." Aasha said while casting a glance at his phone, currently propped up on his desk to give Babs the best view possible. "I hope you don't mind, but I was getting warm." She added, sitting up and clutching the blanket to her very bare chest.

"No, that's alright." Deke said, trying to play it cool. Why was she messing with him? That wasn't nice at all. "Everyone else complains I sleep in a freezer though."

"You do." Aasha said, letting the blanket fall to her waist. "That's not what had me warm though. You're quite the tease."

"Sorry?" Deke offered, trying not to look directly at her. On the floor beside the bed, he saw the shirt she was wearing, with her panties laying on top of it.

"Sorry doesn't cut it." Aasha said, tossing the blanket completely and getting up on her knees on the bed. She made a come hither motion with her finger. "Come here for a minute."

A bit uncomfortably, Deke stepped towards the bed, a puzzled look on his face. "Ash, hon, I swear I wasn't trying to tease you or anything."

"Well, you still did, which wasn't nice at all. I can't force you to make it right, but I hope you would." She said, patiently insistent.

"What do you want me to do about it? It's not like I can just take you to bed." Deke argued. She'd been confusing the hell out of him, one way or another, since she'd slipped into his room earlier.

"Yes you can." A voice called from across the room. It was unmistakably Barbara's, and it was unmistakably coming from his phone. Barbara waited for him to turn and look before flipping the dim running light back on in the car, illuminating her face.

"I can't win with either of you, can I?" Deke asked, his shoulders slumping. He'd been had, and poetically too as far as he was concerned.

"Not really Cowboy." Barbara said sweetly. "So, this is as much up to you, but I wouldn't mind playing voyeur for the evening if you two are willing. I promise this wasn't a setup."

Deke shook his head at the phone. "I believe you. You sure about this though? You had some pretty strong convictions about this."

"I told you both to go ahead when I was in Tokyo didn't I? Besides, I've been behaving selfishly and you _know_ I do not go for that." Barbara said with a firm nod. "So yeah, I'm quite sure. You really did tease Ash, whether you meant to or not."

Glancing back to the sweet-hearted woman in his bed, he gave her a sheepish look. "Sorry if I did you wrong. Can I make it up to you?"

"Yes, you certainly can. Now bring yourself over here, I'm actually quite cold." Aasha said, beckoning for him to join her in the bed. Since he understood what was going on, he obliged her, slipping in beside her.

"Let's do something with that hair first." Aasha said, and used the same trick on him that she did with her own hair, causing the water trapped between the strands of his hair to gather into her palm, forming a large sphere. Unlike when she dried her own hair, she held her attention on the surprisingly large globe, and then focused her will into it, heating it almost immediately into steam, which she then dispersed into the room. "There, better." She said, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself up to him for a kiss.

He returned it with some trepidation, though the way she worked herself up to his level, only to press her lips to his with such want, helped to calm his nerves. Before long, he was returning her kiss, running his fingers through her hair, and intentionally stroking her cheeks and neck with his fingertips.

Aasha pressed her body into his, her extremely stiff nipples boring holes into his chest as she slipped around in front of him to straddle across his lap. She murmured and cooed into his lips as he placed his hands on her back, still softly stroking her smooth, near perfect skin.

Still inside the Batmobile with the car driving on autopilot, Barbara began feeling her own sex stirring, warmth giving way to the right kind of itch. Absently, she began pawing at her own body, though the armoring in her costume made it all but totally ineffectual.

Deke took his lips away from Aasha's, and glanced quickly over her shoulder, checking Barbara's reaction. To keep Aasha from feeling ignored, he began kissing and nibbling on her neck and shoulder lightly, which brought a shiver and goosebumps across her skin. Satisfied that Barbara had a nicely perverted look on her face, he refocused completely on the beautiful woman in front of him.

"You were looking, weren't you?" Aasha asked, whispering into his ear. She felt his body stiffen, and not the way she wanted it to, but she flicked her long tongue against his earlobe to show she wasn't upset. "How'd she look?"

"Horny." He replied, his voice low and deep to keep from carrying. Satisfied with the answer, Aasha moved her head to give him unfettered access to her neck, while she slowly rocked her hips and bum against his quickly stiffening shaft.

"That makes both of us." She muttered. Deke put a hand against her shoulder and pushed her backwards, putting distance between their bodies. Hungrily, he leaned down and began nibbling and sucking on her small dark nipples. "That's very nice." Aasha cooed, still squirming her bum against his tool. She wanted to climb off of him and reach into his pants, dig it out, and take it into her mouth. She wanted to feel him harden fully between her lips, and she wanted to feel it pulse in climax against her tongue.

He must have been listening, or at least absently paying attention as he squeezed and kneaded her small breasts, because he backed off of her, and let her dismount. Instead of making her go fishing for it, he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants and underwear, pushing them down and off. Aasha eyed him greedily and all but slithered her way down the bed. "That's what I want." She said lustfully.

"You're not the only one." Barbara said, still watching them, still touching herself through her costume, putting a lot of effort and pressure into her grip. She would never complain that her costume had been intentionally made in such a manner that getting her pants off was extremely difficult, but at the moment, she wished she were at home watching this, or instead being there with them.

Almost drunk from lust, she watched Aasha put herself on her stomach in front of Deke, before taking him into her mouth. She bent her knees and opened her legs, giving Barbara an excellent look at her already glistening sex. Babs wasn't sure if that was intentional or not, but she certainly appreciated it.

The downfall of her view was that it was stationary. She couldn't see what tricks and technique Aasha was using to all but inhale her boy. Whatever it was, it had to be good, because he'd leaned his head back and hadn't moved much, just mesmerized with pleasure.

Proving just how well he knew her though, Barbara's view suddenly shifted and maneuvered. The phone was obviously floating across the room. For a moment she felt a little motion sick, until it stabilized, probably sitting on the nightstand she'd observed earlier.

It let her see Aasha going to work, though going to town was probably a much more fitting description. Her head was bobbing quickly, and she was noisily slurping. There was something about the set of her shoulders and the intense focus in her eyes as she worked that said she was planning something.

When Aasha came up to her knees, leaned forward, and took his entire shaft into her mouth, Barbara realized what it was. Struggling, the small woman took every bit of him, and held him there. Maddie might know a thing or two more about throating, but Aasha dearly loved the feeling of a man in her mouth. (or a woman, she wasn't discriminatory).

Deke's eyes bulged out at the sudden change. Aasha came up off of him quickly though, choking and gagging. She took a deep breath, smiled, and did it again. In the Batmobile, Barbara felt like she'd had enough already. It might have been because of the division of attention when the three of them played, but she'd never seen Aasha get so aggressive with him, and she liked it.

"Ash, slow down!" Deke managed to spit out. "I'm not using my powers." He said in a surprised and urgent tone. Barbara had a wicked smile at that, watching him react in such a manner. She kept at her rather furious self-maintenance, similarly aggressive but out of necessity. At this rate, she'd finish sometime around July.

"Sorry, that was fun." Aasha said after coming off of him again. "What'd you think?" She asked Barbara while wiping spit and drool from her mouth. She hadn't expected it to be that messy, especially since she hadn't brought him off.

"I'm just the pervert voyeur here." Barbara said, one hand absently fiddling at her belt, trying to find an impromptu toy to aid herself in her endeavor. "But it _was_ really hot."

Deke nodded. "Yeah it was, I need a break though." He said, and it was true. Ash had started on him and hadn't let off, like she was obsessed with getting him off. He reached out to her, pulled her to his chest, and then turned around, laying her quickly down on the bed.

She squeaked in surprise at the manhandling, but the squeak changed to an ooh as he licked his way down her body. Instinctively opening her legs for him, Aasha relaxed into his ministrations. Once he got to her sex proper, he took a moment to lick around it, running his tongue across her outer lips. He knew it tickled her as much as aroused her, and her reaction was about what he expected, squirming and giggling.

Her petals were laid out delicately before him in her arousal, dewy already, and he'd barely done anything yet. Slowly, he flicked his tongue out against them, tasting her spicy flavor, and savoring the tactile sensation of her slick skin. He knew her a lot less intimately than he did Barbara, so listening to her thoughts was still quite necessary. It helped guide him as to when he needed to pick his pace up, slow down, or move along elsewhere to explore.

Because of this, Aasha was in heaven. She was getting exactly what she wanted, the moment she wanted it. Almost drunkenly, she turned her head over on the pillow to look at the phone, her mouth open in quiet, panting breath. She's meant to say something to Babs, but the words weren't there. Instead, all she got was a knowing smile from her redheaded lover, who had given up searching through her belt and had moved on to the equipment in the Batmobile.

Finally! Barbara got her hands on the small handheld centrifuge. The motor was _extremely_ powerful, just what she was looking for. While Aasha panted and squirmed at Deke's tongue on her sex, Barbara was flicking the small scientific tool on, and pressing it against her own body. The dull pressure turned into electricity quickly, so much so that she had to ease off to keep her legs from twitching.

She kept her focus on Aasha's face, knowing full well what her boy was capable of with his tongue. His ability to understand her wants at any given moment made him formidable in the sack. The small Indian woman began squirming harder, and her eyes opened wide, as did her mouth, in a small O shape.

Aasha's reaction got Barbara revving a little faster, so she risked bringing her impromptu vibrator closer to her button. Again, it pushed her just a bit too hard, so she began using it to stroke herself, in long slow passes. Having never owned a toy, this was new territory for her, and the exploration and experimentation was fun.

When Aasha began biting her bottom lip, Barbara knew she was past the point of no return. The girl was remarkably easy to read, so much so that she knew that Deke had begun using a finger to stimulate her while he licked across her button. Aasha's moans turned into a whimpering whine, sounding like a hentai, as she experienced orgasm. The powerful sensation rocked her small body, forcing her to close her eyes tight as the muscle tremors followed the electric burst within her sex.

"Stop please!" She all but begged, putting her hands on the top of his head to push him away. With the three of them, her attention was always divided, and even when both of them were having their way with her, she was still forced to focus on what they were doing. Having him to herself was still extremely new territory, and she wasn't at all used to it. Of course, also having spent a lot of time reading the articles Barbara kept sending her, as well as experimenting with the techniques they listed, meant she was getting a much better handle on her own body.

"Careful Cowboy, don't break her." Barbara admonished breathlessly. She'd had to slow herself down a bit, wanting to at least wait until they were into it proper before letting herself finish. The thought became a challenge, wondering if she could time her own climax with theirs.

"Yeah." Deke said, climbing back up and kissing Aasha. She latched on greedily, tasting herself on his lips and tongue, and wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him closer. She could feel his extremely stiff shaft on the inside of her leg, and she wanted it on the inside of her body. "You okay to keep going?" He asked after their very deep kiss.

Aasha nodded, and opened her legs again, welcoming him. Again, the phone maneuvered around until it was over his shoulder and looking down. Barbara smiled wickedly at the view, the tip of his shaft lined up with her tiny opening. He pressed it into her slowly, having to take the time to not hurt her. She'd had some experience, but certainly not enough. He didn't even just plow straight into Barbara, even though they fit together like they'd been quite literally made for one another.

When his shaft slipped into her, Aasha moaned and arched her back, causing the sensitive cluster of nerves at the top of her entrance to be dragged along by the top of his shaft. Inch by inch he pressed into her, a slow, smooth motion from start to finish. Her body gripped him in a way he could only describe as needing, which if he was being honest, was probably the best way a woman's body could grip her lover's.

She cooed happily as he drew out and pushed back into her. There was still pain, but so little she could ignore it. Instead, she focused on the greater whole of the situation. She was on her back, with her ankles resting on his hips, while he was over top of her, propped up with his arms straight and his fists in the mattress. The feeling of power within him was intoxicating to her, as though he was telling her in no uncertain terms who she existed to please.

He could hear the feelings and thoughts within her as he worked within her slowly, taking time to build up properly. He'd be lying if he said he understood a bit of it, but at the very least, he could respect it. It made her happy, and he wasn't about to abuse it. Instead of trying to puzzle her out, he focused on what he did understand, making her happy, and so he began working his pace up bit by bit, dragging her along for the ride.

Barbara watched this, the vibrating tool in her hand making slow passes across her armored sex. The phone had maneuvered once Deke had slid fully within her, giving her something of an in-between look of their action, with Aasha's breasts as an impromptu viewfinder.

They stayed like this for several minutes, his pace increasing slowly, and her moans and whimpers growing louder in synch to his pace. Aasha began squirming beneath him, which Deke initially thought she was trying to get herself going a bit better, until she wound up squirming right off of his shaft. "I don't want to finish yet." She said in panting breath, and rolled over onto her stomach.

Once more the phone camera moved, becoming Barbara's personal sex drone. She watched as Deke straddled over her bottom and grabbed her hips, lifting them a few inches into the air. Babs knew well this position, it being in her top ten favorites. He couldn't get quite as deep with it, but it worked over some very fun parts all the same.

Aasha moaned as he slipped within her. So wet from their activities, she had no trouble taking him, which was good because he began at a brisk pace with her. She'd put herself face down on purpose, and was enjoying the way she felt powerless beneath him. When he took hold of her hair tentatively, and gave a short tug, she moaned her approval loudly, prompting him to wrap his hand further into it.

Barbara picked her pace up instinctively, watching him ride her like that. Aasha had confessed her secret desires to her months ago, and seeing it in action, while not necessarily her thing, got Barbara turned on brighter for her girlfriend. Similarly, she could vividly recall being in that same position, and the way his short quick strokes worked her sex over. While it had moments of being a curse, in this instance, her perfect recall was an absolute blessing.

For Deke, it was tricky keeping hold of Aasha as he moved within her. What had begun as happy squirming was becoming near thrashing the longer he went with her. He could acutely feel her trying desperately to stave off her orgasm, hoping to go a while longer. Unlike Babs, multiples were rare for her, and usually ended in hypersensitivity. Babs was able to better understand how that worked, and treated her accordingly, and while he could hear her wants, he had to process the information before putting it to use, and in the depths of her body rebelling in pleasure, Aasha's thoughts were exceptionally difficult to understand.

She whimpered and whined, her body wanting more and her mind wanting less, so Deke slowed down and quit tugging quite so hard on her hair, before withdrawing completely from her. Aasha made a disappointed noise until he slid a hand under her hip to help her roll over. Once on her side, she felt her leg getting manipulated, up and bent at the knee, until he was in a spooning position with her. She smiled at the phone screen, where Barbara had gone quiet while focusing on her own needs. The redheaded woman could only smile back as she watched Aasha get entered again, nice and slow.

The more relaxing pace, along with the shallower penetration was exactly what Aasha needed. She arched into her lover, her shoulders pressing against his chest while one of his hands stroked her hair, the other busy kneading her breasts and lightly tweaking her nipples. It was the right kind of physical stimulation and the right moment to have it, the two of them finally settling on the same thing at the same time.

Aasha moaned long, and low as he drove into her with that much calmer rhythm. It allowed her to build into her climax more methodically, and more importantly, enjoy everything on the trip to get there. On the small phone screen, the two kept an eye on their voyeur, who felt like she was ready to explode. Babs didn't know if they were doing this to her on purpose, but it was absolute torture. She had her figurative (and literal) finger on the button, so close to her own finish that a single breath could push her over the edge. That good burn down deep in her abdomen was all but begging to be let loose.

While it might have been a more gradual process, Aasha felt her own inferno building again, made all the easier by the climax he'd given her with his finger and tongue. Knowing it was inevitable, and if she was being honest, feeling sore from the much longer session than she was used to, she surrendered to it, letting it begin to wash over her.

Behind her, Deke knew the moment was happening the same time she did, the early contractions of her inner walls gripping him extremely hard. He moved through it carefully, making sure she could feel it without running wreck on her. As it drew nearer, her whimpers and moans growing into high pitched squeals, she surprised him by grabbing the hand that was massaging her breast, and pushing it up against her throat. The shock nearly caused him to stop everything and freeze, but the very insistent _need_ she was radiating drew him in.

Aasha hadn't regretted her action. The moment she felt his fingers touch her throat, the floodwalls broke, releasing a riot of color and light on the backs of her eyelids which joined the numbing electricity within her limbs. A lip biter if there ever was one, her voice was restrained only by that habit, the pressure almost as much to rival the grip she had on his hand.

Over a thousand miles away, Barbara saw her girlfriend explode, and took it as her cue, sliding the centrifuge up her sex to rest upon her extremely sensitive, and very well teased bundle of nerves. Giving no care at all to how quiet she was, her voice threatened to overload the small speaker on the phone, the sudden and very welcome finish ripping through her. The very powerful and impromptu toy sent her into spasms as her body cut loose, so much so that her eyes began to water from the experience.

"Oh. My. God!" Barbara cried out once her words came to her. Her eyes flew open just in time to see Aasha at the peak of her orgasm, her small body almost shivering from the sensation. Her eyes drifted lower, watching her boy slip into their lover, and she became positively fascinated by it, wondering how different it looked when she was in that place, and giving her a desire to investigate it.

"Okay, please stop." Aasha whimpered, his strokes becoming more painful than pleasurable. His grip on her throat, already light as a feather, completely disappeared as he pulled his hand away, and while she'd asked him, feeling him completely withdraw from her was a disappointment all the same. Gingerly, she slipped a hand between her legs and brushed her entirely too sensitive petals with a fingertip. "You didn't finish." She said with a frown.

"I didn't know I was supposed to." Deke answered defensively. He'd very nearly had, hearing both girls cry out in their moment; his focus on his telekinetic grip on the phone was the only thing stalling it.

"Well, you're about to." Aasha replied hungrily, rolling over and all but body checking him to the mattress. Obviously not arguing this, he let her, and watched as she slithered back down his body, taking him into her mouth with no pause or pretense.

"She told you." Barbara said, offering commentary now that she'd collected herself. The phone reoriented itself to sit beside Deke's head, giving Babs a nearly perfect perspective on what was happening. She had to mute the call to giggle at the sight of it, and herself, as she imagined having a cock for a day.

"Yup." Was all Deke could mutter as Aasha set about the business of concluding their festivities for the evening, with all of the enthusiasm and skill she could muster. While her experiences were still limited, which prevented her from really developing her skill, her enthusiasm was a whole other matter. "Dios mio." He managed, before her sucking and bobbing became too much.

"Damn, get it girl!" Barbara encouraged, and was rewarded by seeing Aasha's beautiful lashes flutter up as her dark eyes made contact with the camera on the phone. Altogether too hot, she had to collect herself again before she took the centrifuge out on a second date. As the seconds ticked into minutes, she found herself mesmerized by Aasha's work, soundtracked by the soft grunts and moans of her boy.

Unable to not mention a development that had occurred to her, Barbara hazarded interrupting the spell. "So, full disclosure, I actually came in my costume." She said almost bashfully, but quite truthfully. The sheer power of the motor in her toy had worked a number on her, causing her to produce a bit more than she'd bargained for.

"Oh God that's hot." Deke muttered, and the moment he began picturing it was the moment his whole world came crashing down around him. That mental image combined with Aasha's very lavish attention shoved him completely over the edge.

Aasha read his body, feeling the muscles in his legs go from firm to solid, and added to it. "Are you going to cum in my mouth?" she asked, so sweet and polite. She wasn't much for the Lolita vibe, but on occasion it worked to her advantage. She had to fight to keep a smile off her face when he fired off; instead closing her lips around his tip, letting him fill her mouth. In this regard she knew she was fortunate, his hacking of his body to make the final product sweet and palatable was something she wouldn't likely find elsewhere. Though, the volume and pressure of it all did balance that out, nearly choking her on his first spurt. She had to swallow quickly to catch it, before sliding his entire shaft into her mouth. More than anything else, she loved the feel of him pulsing against her tongue, the tactile sensation sending her mind and heart soaring in a way she would likely never truly be able to put into words. She hadn't lied when she'd called it an ego thing, the way she enjoyed satisfying her lovers. Deep in her heart of hearts, there was probably the solace knowing that ickle-bitty Aasha could render someone dumbstruck by her body and skills there with.

"Wow." They heard Barbara say over the video call. "I think I finished again." Barbara said, still sounding a bit bashful. She was a brilliant woman, so when something sexual could engage her mind and imagination so fully, there was no doubt that she would find some physical reaction. "This night has gotten so many shades of better."

"Uh huh." Deke muttered in agreement, finally taking the phone in his physical hand. "Did you seriously get off in your costume?" he asked, orienting the camera so he could look at his love.

Barbara nodded with a red face. She was in no way ashamed of her sexuality, but it was tantamount to peeing in her costume, no matter how little it was. "Yeah, I didn't think that quite through. I was distracted." She accused, though she couldn't hold the stoic glance once she saw the top of Aasha's head poke into frame as she squirmed under Deke's arm and into the picture.

"So, next time we get you in real life, right?" Aasha asked sweetly, batting her lovely eyelashes.

"Yeah, in a week or two for certain." Barbara replied, finally switching back to manual control of the Batmobile. "Unless you're feeling randy tomorrow afternoon that is."

"No, I'm, well, I'm quite good now, thank you." Aasha said, the soreness beginning to radiate more now that her endorphins weren't dumping into her system. "We love you though!"

"Yes we do." Deke said, and the two watched Barbara blow them a kiss. She winked as well, and put on a pretty smile.

"I love you both, and I'll see you tomorrow." She said, finally ending the call so that she could get back to her proper duties of keeping Gotham safe, though not before hitting save on her phone. That one was going to get her through the next several lonely nights that she might have. 

* * *

"You have to say nice things to me now." Aasha said, snuggling into Deke's chest, her hand resting over his heart, which allowed her to feel the slowly calming pounding in his chest.

"I mean, I'm happy to, but why do I _have_ to?" Deke asked, stroking her hair.

"You have to be nice to me because I'm very small." She said spunkily.

"Okay, fair enough." Deke drawled. "There are women who would sell their soul for hair this soft and strong."

"That's kind of you to say, thank you. What else?" Aasha said, feeling oddly flirty and silly.

"Well, at least according to the internet, you might be the most perfect mistress in the world." Deke said, going out on a limb with the statement. From what he'd read it wasn't an incorrect thing to say. After all, she got along _extremely_ well with the missus, wasn't demanding, and was as discreet as possible.

"Mistress? Is that what we're calling me?" Aasha asked with a giggle.

"Well, I'd punch Superman in the balls for calling you a side bitch, and I mean, girlfriend works, but mistress is a way classier term." Deke said, defending his thesis.

Aasha smiled and nuzzled into him deeper. "So, I feel like we should talk about what happened at the end of all _that_. I noticed you yanked your hand away pretty fast, was that uncomfortable to you?"

Deke drew in a deep breath, and let it out in long, slow exhale. "No, not exactly. I mean, everyone's idea of love is different, right? It's not exactly how I'd go about business is all, but we're all different people. Hell, I had to have a heart-to-heart with Babs about all her scratching and biting. She just kinda _does_ it, and it was bothering her. I had to tell her I kinda like it y'know? I didn't feel like she was marking territory, I felt like I was doin' my job right."

"I'll be honest, when she and I played a fortnight ago, I was much more aggressive than usual. I was kind of hoping she'd scratch me up a bit, it's one of the very few things I get properly jealous of where you two are concerned." Aasha admitted. "But as for me and my personal kinks, if you didn't feel right, then I'll not ask you to do so again. I certainly don't need it to feel satisfied."

"I'll have to think about it hon." Deke said thoughtfully. "You seemed pretty happy with me just kinda resting my hand there, and I'm pretty much alright with that."

"As you like. It certainly works for me." Aasha said, and kissed him on the nose.


	25. Chapter 24

March 28th  
Metropolis  
1745 EST

"Jimmy, are you getting this?" Lois asked to the boy photographer that was always there for her. That actually wasn't fair to him, something Clark had gently reminded her. A boy no more, Jimmy Olsen had done a year in Afghanistan as a war correspondent, and come back much more mature for the experience. It showed in the near fearless way he framed his shots of the massive 'thing' currently rampaging down the streets of Metropolis. A cross between a squid and an iguana, the size of a Kaiju monster, it had risen from the harbor to begin wrecking the fair city.

"Yes Ms. Lane." Jimmy said cooly, taking his time to set his shutter speed and aperture, despite the debris raining down around them. He brought his camera into focus, all with manual settings, and began shooting. When the first terabyte SD card had hit the market, he'd jumped on it, and had all the space in the world to get the shots he needed.

"Be careful." Lois warned, her fingers flying blindly on the touchscreen of her small tablet. Clark had told her that he wouldn't be around for a couple of weeks, though he hadn't said why. She trusted him though, especially when he said Metropolis would be in capable hands.

When they heard the sonic booms, each one progressively closer to the creature, her heart swelled. He'd come back early! She knew he couldn't leave his city unprotected, it just wasn't in him.

The sound of the impact, not even a hundred feet above them, was wet, with a smacking noise to it. The creature roared as the hit drove it off its balance, sending it rocking backwards on its suction cup lined feet. Jimmy shot a few more pictures, though the curious look on his face told Lois something was up.

"When did Superman start wearing a cowboy hat?" he asked, as another sonic boom erupted, right in front of the creature, and this one driving it back further on the street. It began lifting in the air, despite the floating cowboy not being under it. He sighted in his camera again and used the full extent of his very powerful zoom lens, and was able to see whoever it was making a lifting gesture with one hand.

"He doesn't." Lois said, confused.

March 30th  
Las Vegas, Nevada  
0850 PST

The chittering swarm emanating from the crashed craft began pouring out in a tidal wave. From his position at the front of his men, General Wade Eiling gave the order to the armored division at his command to fire. Immediately, the thundering sound of the primary guns on the main battle tanks began rippling in salvo. Required to move back for safety, and refusing to set a bad example for his men by ignoring the rule, the General peeled away and recovered his weapon, shouldering the rifle like any other grunt and dumping ammunition into the swarm.

"Sir!" one of the Intel jockies called out, rushing out towards him. "Sir, the weapon fire is only adding to the mass of the swarm!"

"Damnit." Wade said, and grabbed the radio on his shoulder. "Pull back to second ORP, send a call to the Justice League." He grumbled. He despised asking for their help, no matter how freely they offered it. His soldiers, and the Marines, Sailors, and Airmen working for his counterparts across the different branches of service, we America's finest. They didn't need superpowers, even if the damn Chair Force could call Captain Atom back into service if necessary.

"Perhaps I can help." Another voice called out. The General and his Intel boy looked up to see a small aircraft hovering above them. Shaped like a delta wedge, it was only a few feet off the ground, and had approached silently. The figure within it got up and out, and slid down the wing to land on his feet. A slight fella, barely five nine and a buck thirty, and dressed in a costume of constantly shifting and warping reds blues and purples, he gave a relatively crisp salute to the general before evaluating the situation.

"Who are you son?" General Eiling asked, trying to figure out who the new player was.

"Fractal sir. Might I make use of that emplaced machine gun?" he asked, pointing to the tripod mounted fifty cal that a crew of soldiers was in the process of taking down to follow the order to move.

"Won't make a dent, but sure." Wade said, overseeing the evacuation. "What the hell kid, light it up."

"Certainly, General." Kristof said, and rushed over to the heavy weapon. He put a hand to it, gripping it lightly, and for a moment, the crew wasn't sure what the hell was going on. When the Ma Deuce melted almost immediately, forming a very orderly puddle on the ground, those soldiers backed off quickly.

Kris gave a smug grin, and issued his new friends the order to rush the nanoswarm emanating from the crashed alien ship. He walked along behind them slowly, keeping just in range, and watched as his collective of nanomachines collided with the alien collective. For a second, they seemed to be absorbed like so much other detritus, until the alien swarm began acting in a far more organized manner.

A few soldiers, unconcerned with the trouble they would find themselves in for disobeying a direct order, rubbernecked to watch, and were both terrified and emboldened by it. What had once been a crashing tidal wave of microscopic machines, hell bent on consuming them, was slowly getting beaten back by another wave, gradually growing in size.

"What the fuck is that, Sar major?" a random private asked of his senior NCO.

"Don't know, don't care, clear the area." The much calmer Sergeant Major replied, containing his own shock and awe.

The retreat was an orderly one, not only due to excellent training and leadership, but also because they weren't threatened to be consumed by the swell of machines anymore. After a few minutes, the superhero, whoever the hell he was, just walked into the liquid metal swarm, becoming enveloped by it.

"That kid's a dumbass." General Eiling said, watching on a drone's screen.

"Maybe not sir. Look again." The intel guy said. That massive tidal wave of metal was reforming and reshaping itself, with bubbles raising like boils on the pile of goo. Like his initial offering, the kid's powers seemed to start slow before snowballing into something big, and the entire Intel group assigned to General Eiling got to have a drone's eye view of the situation.

Within short order, what had originally been an alien swarm bent on destruction, had become a large series of buildings. The swarm had collected the sand and other elements in the desert less than a mile from the outskirts of Vegas, and had turned themselves and the rest of the material into a large solar farm.

Standing in the middle was Kristof Hausman, a properly satisfied look on his face. He held the data core of the alien ship in his hands, now safe that he'd used his technopathic abilities on it to destroy the coding that told the nanoswarm to continually replicate. There was more information of course, but he'd share all of that.

March 31st  
Savannah, Georgia  
1225 EST

Shimmer, Mammoth, and Devastation gave each other smug looks as they carted out their haul from the jewelry story, uncaring that in their excitement to rob the place, they'd nearly obliterated a piece of classic antebellum architecture and construction.

"Funny, weather didn't call for rain." Devastation muttered, shouldering the sack full of jewels and heading towards their getaway car. That lackadaisical attitude was her undoing.

Shimmer managed to look up, but had no time to speak out before an extremely strong gust of wind lifted her from her feet and launched her over a block away, skidding to a stop against the side of a building. Mammoth snorted and growled, scanning for their attacker, and was swallowed up when the earth split beneath his feet, trapping him to the shoulders.

Got her, Devastation thought to herself, seeing the form in the sky. "I'm giving you one chance little girl." She warned. A little weather play wasn't going to stop her.

"Little?" the chick said. "Little?!" she repeated in a screech. It was then that the sky opened up and unleashed hell. Bolt after bolt of mystical lightning struck Wonder Woman's anathema, each one driving her harder into the ground.

"That's it." Devastation muttered, before dodging to the side and taking a massive leap up into the air. Another bolt hit her, this one from the girl's hands, and sent her flying.

"I'm scared of what I can do." The small woman said. "It's so easy to get carried away, but they said you're as powerful as Wonder Woman. You're not some fragile, delicate flower are you?"

Devastation landed on her back on a rooftop, quickly got to her feet, and ripped a clay chimney from the roof of the place before lobbing it straight at her attacker. A nimble flier, she soared away easily, and made a grand gesture, the earthenware material shattering into powder in flight. "I don't have to play nice with you, do I?" she asked the powerhouse female, who was quickly feeling outclassed and outmatched.

A hard updraft knocked her back into the air, before a fiery burst blew out and away from downtown. She landed in the park, and the impact wasn't soft. Screaming curses and fury, Deva picked herself up, ready to see what else the little cunt had up her sleeve, when she was struck by a sailing Mammoth, knocking her right back down.

"I'll kill you, you little whore!" Devastation screamed out, her knees bent and legs tightening to leap back at her enemy.

"I prefer paramour, actually." Daeva called back

The trees in the park came alive with another gesture, wrapping the two powerhouses up in an arboreal embrace. Their roots and limbs twisted and tangled together, pulling both of them into bizarre and uncomfortable positions.

"Either of us could rip three of these trees out of the ground at no time honey, this won't hold us!" Devastation cried out, while Mammoth howled in fury.

"Not without leverage you can't." Daeva called back. "You've no purchase to push off from now. Aren't body mechanics such fun?"

Shimmer, sore, aching, and ready for a percocet and a nap, crept up, traveling rooftop to rooftop, getting close enough to make her own assault on the woman in the fancy dress. Nearing the edge of the building, she was about to jump, when a puddle of water came alive and grasped her around the ankle, yanking her down to the rooftop where she knocked the back of her head a good one.

"Don't make me get nasty with you too. You _are_ a delicate flower after all." Daeva said, while commanding the puddle water to slither up the woman's body and wrap around her hands and neck, before turning into stone.

Daeva turned her attention back to the two powerhouses, to make sure they were covered long enough for properly equipped authorities to collect them.

March 31st  
Gotham City  
1630 EST

"Welcome home." A pert voice called out, greeting Aasha as she entered her temporary home. She smiled warmly at Barbara, who was ears deep in homework at the moment.

"Thank you beautiful." Aasha said sweetly. "Where's Deke?" she asked, not hearing or seeing him anywhere. "Napping I presume?"

"Nope, he's doing me a favor and helping out a new addition to Gotham's crime-fighting team." Barbara said. "Speaking of, you know you let Shimmer escape, right?"

"Bloody fuck, I did." Aasha said, furious with herself. She'd been warned that Shimmer had transmutative abilities, but she'd been so focused on Mammoth and Devastation that she'd let it slip her mind.

"Language you." Barbara admonished. "It's okay though, she'll show back up eventually."

Aasha unceremoniously stripped out of her wet clothing, tossing the whole lot in the drier. She could have gathered the water droplets and sent them down the drain, but fresh from the dryer clothes, with that wonderful smell made expedience lose. "Sorry." She apologized, both for the mistake and the language. She still had no idea why Babs was so bothered by it.

"It's okay Aashaaaaaoooohay, you're naked." Barbara said, finally turning to look at her girlfriend. When Ash turned the dryer on, she understood why, but it was still surprising.

"Am I distracting you?" Aasha asked apologetically as she grabbed the laundry basket and began rooting through it for clothes. She didn't want to tease Barbara in the middle of her homework, such behavior requiring unfair prioritization.

"Maybe a bit. You're not shy at all anymore, are you?" Barbara asked, finally setting her program to compile. It gave her the ability to get up and help her roommate and lover find something warm to wear.

"I am, actually. I'm trying to shake it though. You're a wonderful inspiration." Aasha said honestly. She turned and grabbed one of her chokers, a soft lace one, and clasped it on, feeling, in her own way, dressed. She still wasn't warm though, so proper clothing was still necessary.

"I'm glad to know you're finding your own strength Ash." Barbara said sweetly, giving the girl a chaste kiss. Homework was a surefire way to dry her up, so she wasn't much in the mood to get romantic, despite the beautiful naked woman standing beside her. "I think he said you could have this one, by the way." She offered, handing Aasha the long white shirt that Deke had in fact given her.

"Oh yes!" Aasha squeaked happily. She slipped it on, and while it was just on the too short side to wear as the dress that she joked about, it would pair wonderfully with the leggings she'd gathered up. "Are we hungry?" Aasha offered, slipping the leggings on without much concern for knickers. She'd dress properly later.

"Always." Barbara commented, rubbing her washboard stomach.

"I'll make us something then, shall I?" Aasha offered, tiptoeing into the kitchenette like a tiny ballerina. "What sounds good?"

"You're cooking, you decide." Barbara said, her nose crinkled in a silent giggle at how cute Aasha could be. She'd noticed the way the girl was filling out the bottom of her leggings, and it gave her natural bounce a bit more, well, bounce. She'd been working out lately, and it was showing.

"Okay, am I cooking for two, or three?" Aasha asked, bent over with her head in the refrigerator. She felt a light swat on her bottom and squeaked while she looked at what they had available.

Behind her, Barbara answered thoughtfully. "Two. He said he wasn't going to be out late, but I know him, he's going to drag the new recruit out on the town. He can feed himself later."

"I could just set some aside." Aasha countered, decided to make Japanese curried beef and rice. Quick and easy.

"As you like." Barbara said in a pretty accurate imitation of Aasha's accent as she slipped up onto the far counter to watch Aasha cook. She was, without a doubt, blessed.


	26. Chapter 25

March 31st  
Gotham City  
1705 EST

She was, without a doubt, cursed. Bette wiped the sweat from her brow with a quick swipe of her forearm before taking another leap into the air, to grasp on the uneven bars and begin a routine. Her arms and core burned horribly from the lactic acid buildup, and her stomach was in knots.

Across the room in what had been called a 'Bunker', Babs' fiancée stood there, quietly eating an orange, watching her work. His gaze wasn't leering, but it never crossed away from her, making her feel silently judged. More than once, she'd wanted to stop, walk up to him, and ask him if he felt better for watching her torture herself. God knew she might well deserve it after some of the awful things she'd thought about him.

"Are you mad because you did it, or mad because you got caught?" He asked, tossing the orange peel into the trash can, before walking closer to the uneven bars.

She didn't say a word, didn't have to.

"Cause," he drawled easily. "If you're mad because you got caught, then I got nothing for you."

Finally, she let go of the bars and sailed into a dismount, sticking it like the extremely well-seasoned amateur that she was. With a frown, she turned to look at the redneck Babs had shacked up with. "Both, okay?" Bette snapped, waiting on his reply.

"Fair enough." Deke replied, summoning another orange and a bottle of water, though he summoned them to her hands instead of his. "So, here's us. Lay it all out."

"Fine, it never should have been you, okay? Since we were kids, I knew in my heart of hearts it was supposed to be Dick. Rich, good looking, charming, educated, he was everything I wanted for her." Bette said crankily.

"For her, or for you?" Deke asked, leaning against the wall. He looked at her pointedly. She hadn't gotten sour until she'd found out that he'd offered Babs a ring, and that she'd accepted it.

Bette growled in frustration. Was he this annoying all the time? "For her, alright? I had my shot and I blew it! Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"Nope." Deke drawled casually. "Not really. I brought you cocoa if you remember."

Seething, Bette tore the lid off her water bottle. She downed a drink hard, the swallow feeling solid in her throat. "So, you brought cocoa, big deal! You're still not right for her, and I hope she sees it sooner than later. I know you're fucking that little Indian girl on the side!" she spat venomously.

"We both are and she told you we both are." Deke said, not falling for the bait. Babs had nipped that problem in the bud months ago, finally mustering the courage to talk about things with Bette. Still unsure if she was bi, or just attracted to Aasha, Barbara still felt like her best friend deserved to know she wasn't hiding in a closet. "That ain't the problem and you know it."

"You're the problem!" Bette all but screamed. With a sigh, Deke took off his overshirt, leaving him in jeans and a plain tee shirt. He walked over to the blue mat and just stood there, leaving Bette to stalk after him furiously.

"No I ain't." Deke replied, and flicked Barbara's MMA gloves towards her with a gesture and a bit of telekinesis. "So, till you figure it out, have at it. Bleed it out."

"Gladly." Bette replied, before pulling the gloves on. She gave no indication she was about to begin, instead, she waded in, firing shots off the moment she was in range. Each time, his hand moved to swat her strikes out of the way, or his feet carried him just out of her reach. Despite saying nothing to her, or even putting on an attitude, his behavior flat pissed her off worse. Any reaction would be better.

Of course, he was cheating, reading her thoughts and intention. She was naturally faster though, with the occasional shot getting past his defenses, only to make impact on his inertial shielding. He dialed it back enough to eat the impact instead of sending it on a return trip though, as that would solve nothing.

Her strikes and attitude grew sloppier as she got angrier. He could sense something behind her eyes, something toxic within her, fueling her. It left him with one final option. He stopped reacting altogether, and just stood there and let her whale away on him. Her fury had blinded her, to the point where she hadn't properly noticed he'd stopped defending himself. Instead, she just kept unloading on him, piling on more and more punches and kicks, knees and elbows.

This lasted longer than Deke had expected. The girl had one hell of a tank of gas, maybe more than Barbara, though he was rightly leery of saying that particular thought out loud. Eventually, she wore herself out though, collapsing on the floor with eyes flooded with sweat and tears. It had become obvious she was fighting a ghost.

"You're going to take her, just like Batman and Robin did, just like the League tried to do." Bette finally muttered through deep, gasping breaths. "And then what?"

Deke nodded and let a small smile work onto his face. "Bette, the only place I'm taking her is _maybe_ the suburbs, but I think we both know she's not that kind of woman. I don't want to take her from you, and really, do you think I could if I wanted to?"

Bette sighed. "Dick said the same thing, and then during the Reach invasion, and since then, I've barely seen her, not like I used to. It's like she's drifting further and further away from me."

"I said to that little Indian girl, whose name is Aasha by the way, that we're entangled, every single one of us. I might be wrong about that. Maybe it's more that we're orbiting. Sometimes it's summer, and sometimes it's winter that way. There were plenty of times you saw Babs more than I did, and here soon, it'll be the same thing again." Deke said, calling another pair of water bottles to his hands. He could read the intense dehydration in her body almost as clearly as he could see she needed to touch her roots up a bit.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bette asked, grasping the water bottle out of the air. She found it difficult to listen to him, not because of his accent, but because of the sheer distrust she'd developed for him.

"Well, now that this is out of your system, you can focus better. You're doin' it already. Before long, Gotham's going to have another cape out there, and I know Babs told you she's pulling back more to Gotham. Batman doesn't like me patrolling her on account of my powers, and I've got my own team to work with too. It's gonna be a lot of you two." Deke said, watching the emotional poison purge from her body.

She still frowned though, not happy admitting anything. "That easy huh?" She asked.

"Yep, that easy. Plus, you ain't the only newbie Gotham's about to see. Rumor is someone else is getting some training. I ain't met her, don't know anything about her, but I know who's training her, and that someone's no joke." Deke said, nipping at his own bottle of water.

"You don't know anything at all, besides the fact they're a she?" Bette asked suspiciously. She finally narrowed down the source of her annoyance. He was a psychic, he could read minds, and probably control them too. She couldn't even be a hundred percent certain Barbara was actually willing to do anything with him.

"Pretty much. We'll meet her soon enough." Deke said thoughtfully. He let the air hang silent for a moment before looking directly at Bette, locking their matching green eyes. "By the way, if I was willing to just control someone's thoughts and actions, don't you think the first thing I would've done is keep you from thinking and talking such awful shit about me?"

Bette froze, a chill racing up her spine. "So you're still in here?" she asked finally, poking herself in the temple a bit harder than she intended.

Deke sighed and set his drink beside him. "I don't have to be Bette, you scream your thoughts. This is no lie, I've heard you thinking from down the hall of y'all's old dorm room before. You have a very bold thought process."

"I find that hard to believe." Bette retorted.

"I met Babs at a party you two had gone to. You'd met some dude there, and all of a sudden, Babs showed up and stole you away to give you a couple of rubbers. Remember that?" Deke asked, using his powers to magnify his recall.

Bette took in a long breath. "Yeah, I remember." She said. While no prude, she was almost as bothered by random casual sex as Barbara was, so her one night stands were few and far between.

"I told Babs you were planning on it, and she couldn't let you wander off without making sure y'all were covered." Deke said calmly. "Now, you can confirm this with her, since I asked her not to tell you, but his roommate was planning on recording the whole thing. I uh, _persuaded_ him not to."

"You mind controlled him?" Bette asked, still hung on the idea.

"Oh hell no, I don't mind control anybody. I grabbed him by the shirt and told him if I caught wind of him trying it, I'd find him and let you film me fucking him next." Deke said with a snicker. That one could have backfired.

"Ew." Bette said with a crinkled nose.

"Yep. That's the same thing he said. Look, you're not psychic, so you just don't have the same understanding I do about it, but mind control is rape, pure and simple. I'd be forcing someone to do something that, in the back of their minds, they know they wouldn't want to do. Besides, I know Babs told you how I grew up, always being bullied and stuff. There's no way I'd do that to someone else." Deke replied at length. It looked like if there was to be an olive branch between them, he'd be the one extending it.

Bette blinked thoughtfully. "I guess it's just, all these stories of Metas, and the Meteor infected several years ago, there was talk of mind controllers, I thought that's all there was to it."

"Well, no, not really. There's plenty that do though, you're not wrong about it. They're just a buncha assholes though." Deke said emphatically. "I just gotta be better than that. I'd rather make someone love me because of my actions, not my powers. That's real love, and it shows."

Bette sat there quietly for a minute before speaking. "Yeah, I suppose it does. Look, I'd say I've been a bitch but I feel more like I was behaving like a cunt."

Deke gently interrupted her. "That's more than a little too hard on yourself. You were looking out for your best friend. I'd be pissed off if Pacifica tried to keep me from spending time with Liho, I get it."

"Okay. You understand it then. Most days, we're all each other has, and she's been spending so much time with that, er, Aasha, and you, and doing the thing." Bette said, not spitting her words, but calmly speaking them.

"Well, they're not a couple of bunnies, try calling her to hang out, outside of the masks. Aasha's a sweetheart too, you'd love her if you got to know her. Make a friend while you're at it." Deke suggested. "I'm not so needy that I can't handle Babs having a girl's night when she wants."

"Okay, I might do that." Bette said, and offered a hand to him. "Truce?" she asked.

"Nope." Deke replied to her surprise, before taking her hand and pulling her into a hug. "Truce means you still don't like someone but you're willing to stop fighting."

"Okay then." Bette replied, awkwardly hugging him back, thanks to the strange angle they were in on the floor.

"So, wanna go work the rest of your annoyance out on people who deserve it?" He asked once she'd let go.

"Who deserves it?" Bette replied as she pulled herself up to her feet. Babs would have never let her loose to go fighting crime so early, and had told her as much more than once.

"The Mercado has had some shady people down there for about a month, I got a feeling they might be Cartel. Babs suggested I take it as a case, and Batman agreed. Team up?" He offered, climbing to his feet as well.

"I don't speak Spanish." Bette said with a frown. "Still want me to come along?"

"Hell yeah, ass-kicking is a universal language. What'm I calling you anyways?" Deke asked, ignoring his overshirt and going straight for his long rider. He tossed it on with the circular motion Dick had taught him, and beckoned his hat to his hand.

"Well, it's a work in progress, but Flamebird I think." Bette said, grabbing her fiery patterned hoodie and stepping around the corner to change. "Still working on the costume though."

"Well," Deke said, leaning against the wall and tilting his hat down over his face. She'd completely forgotten the mirror on the wall. "I keep bringing her up, but Ash is a hell of an artist. She designed her own getup. I'm sure she'd enjoy the project since there's not enough room in the apartment to set up a full easel to paint."

Bette glanced over her shoulder to hear him better, noticed she was about to undress in front of a mirror, and then saw him pointedly staring into his hat. "Thanks for looking away. I think I'll just use the bathroom for this."

"Might be wise." He suggested, while she cursed herself for not paying more attention to her surroundings. She _did_ have miles to go yet.


	27. Chapter 26

March 31st  
Gotham City  
1800 EST

Flamebird and Mustang were perched on a rooftop overlooking the Mercado, while the still chilly wind of the city blew past them. Down below, people we leaving the place following the conclusion of the day's auctions, immediately bundling up and scurrying off to get to their cars.

Bette looked through a pair of binoculars, watching and waiting. "There they are." She said, when a few black SUV's pulled up. She tapped her impromptu partner with the optics, and let him peer through them.

"I'll be damned." Deke muttered, the moment an Escalade rose up a few inches from the ground. "Brick's out."

"Brick? He's the one that put Babs in the hospital a few years ago." Bette said, taking the binoculars back when he offered them.

"Yep, that's how she and I met. I bet he thinks he can take over now that the Latin gangs have been run out. His people only come heavy when they show anywhere, this could be a mess." Deke said, with a worried tone. He didn't want to put Bette in a situation he couldn't easily get her out of.

"So, plan?" She asked, checking the small amount of gear she'd had time to become familiar with, for the hundredth time that evening.

"If I go in powerful, it's just going to drive him off, and there's nothing to indict him for. You got tracers?" He asked, pointing to her belt. It was a simple web gear affair, with a few hard shell cases.

"Yeah, I do actually. Want me to tag the car?" She asked, sifting through the case to retrieve one, trying to do it all by touch.

"Yep. I've got you covered. Go for it." He said, and watched her slip away to take the fire escape down to the ground level. There were a couple of men still waiting outside, though the bitter cold in the air blowing in from the bay meant their attention was more focused on staying warm and comfortable than vigilance.

Since she'd left her binoculars, he watched her approach from a couple of blocks down. Sauntering casually, she waited until a block away before unzipping her hoodie and deftly messing about in the rear waistband of her pants.

Once she got up close to the vehicles, he could see why. Too far away to hear, he could only guess at her playing at being a hood rat, squatting down low to ostensibly check out the custom rims on the vehicle, though also offering a good peek at the thong panties she was wearing.

Shifting his perceptions, Deke waited to see if any of the guards would turn hostile as she milled about the vehicle, casually flirting her way into getting a good opportunity to place the tracker. Apparently, she knew more than a little bit about the truck, since after a few minutes, one of the guards happily popped the hood for her to let her see the engine, which she pointedly leaned over and into the car to see.

Lifting her phone up, she brought that guard in for a selfie and put an arm around him, which was exactly where she made the plant. It's not how Babs would have done it, but if nothing else, she certainly got results. And a phone number, apparently. Brick himself might be more intelligent than he was given credit for, but his employees? Not so much.

Several minutes later and she was back on the roof, taking the rear fire escape again to get back into position. "Well?" She asked, her self-confidence radiating from her in waves.

"Smooth as silk. Nice work." Deke said honestly. "He offer his number or did you ask?"

"I asked, he was way too happy to give it to me. I swear, a little cleavage and they were eating out of my hands." Bette remarked as she readjusted her underwear back into a much more comfortably position.

"We're simple creatures." Deke commented. "Now, we wait. Brick's no Roman Sionis, but he plays the long game. We can get a profile of his movements now, start mapping what he's up to."

"So this really is a lot of it then, mostly just observing?" Bette asked, trying to reconcile the idea in her head that it was all action and adventure.

"Yeah, when you're dealing with people, it really is. Gotta be smart about it after all. If we took Brick with no evidence, we're wrecking our own credibility and wasting time and resources. Care to guess what he's up to?" He asked.

"Well, you said he was trying to move in on the old Cartel spots," Bette ventured thoughtfully. "But that's not gonna be easy. Since he just got out, he'd have to consolidate his power base again, so I think he's testing the waters."

"I ain't disagreeing." Deke replied, slipping away from the edge of the roof once Brick and his men exited the Mercado. "He's got something conflicting his thoughts though, so I think there's more to it, but you're probably on the right track."

"So, what's next?" Bette asked, following him towards the rear fire escape. He shook his head with a small grin and just stepped off the edge, using his powers to arrest his momentum at the last minute, and then motioning for her to drop as well.

Bette screwed her face up in thought for a moment, not sure if she should or not. She didn't know him as really anything but Babs' man, the superhero part of him was a whole new aspect. She couldn't in good conscious assume Babs would make a poor choice of who to keep company with though, so after a short time deliberating, Bette rolled off the side into a short freefall, dropping the few stories before her momentum was similarly arrested, allowing her time to orient herself and land softly on her feet.

To Deke, it was the victory he felt like he needed. Trust wasn't an easy thing to give, so when she showed it to him, he felt elated. It would definitely be something worth telling Barbara when he got home later. For now though, they had another goal.

"So, now we let this place clear out, wait until El Jefe leaves, and have a nice conversation with them, see if they can give us anything else." Deke suggested. Bette nodded in agreement.

"What do we do until then?" She asked, since it seemed like employees weren't planning on leaving any time in the near future.

"We wait."

* * *

"/What did Brick want?/" Deke asked the owner of the building which hosted the vending and auctions at the Mercado. Of course called El Jefe, or the Boss, his real name was Jesus Ortega, an older gentleman who'd operated within Gotham since long before the Bat arrived.

"Dios mio!" Ortega muttered, turning to look at the caballero who'd snuck up on him. "/Why should I tell you? Is Batman too busy?/"

"/No, but this is our case. You might not be on the perfect up and up, but compared to Brick, you're a saint. Who do you think Gotham would rather have in charge of this place?/" Deke asked. Behind him, Bette stood there, arms crossed over her chest, with a vicious scowl etched on her face. She spoke no Spanish, so to cover herself, she'd chosen to play the 'Bad Cop' between the two.

"/Fine, he wants to buy me out, and it looks like I don't have much choice in the matter. If he sees me talking to you, or any other cape in this town, I'm done./" Ortega said, already glancing around the parking lot. He'd heard about the Cowboy occasionally showing up here, but he wasn't sure who the blonde in the hoodie was. Shame too, she was considerably more attractive than his wife.

"/You have anything we can use against him?/" Deke asked, hoping their conversation had been recorded or videoed.

"/Nothing I'm handing over, no. I have my fifth amendment right./" Jesus argued. The conversation might be incriminating, but it was potentially damning for both of them.

Bette, picking Fifth Amendment out in their conversation, interjected. "You think the cops won't cut a deal? A public defender can get an immunity offer to keep Brick off the streets." She said, offering the idea in the most condescending tone she could muster. Making the offer in a soliciting manner would make Ortega feel like he had some power, giving him the wrong idea. Spoon feeding it to him like a child on the other hand, kept him humble.

"/I'd listen to the lady./" Deke said, keeping in his Cuban accented Spanish. It was plain that Ortega was at least bilingual, but it helped with the Good Cop-Bad Cop vibe. "/So, how about it? Physical storage or something in the cloud? If it's cloud based we can leave now and you won't see us again until Gotham PD has Brick in custody./"

"/Backed up on the internet. I have security guys to look after it./" Ortega sighed. He was damned if he did and he was damned if he didn't.

"Yeah, that won't be a problem." Deke said, switching back to English. "We know some people. Keep your head down and stay safe."

"Yeah, sure." Ortega quipped dolefully as he climbed into his vintage Cadillac. At least these two didn't damage his car to make a point.

Deke and Bette watched him pull out, and slipped away, ducking into an alley. He gestured for her to step closer to him, and again, she deliberated on it for a moment before getting within arm's reach. She stiffened in surprise as he wrapped an arm around her like some kind of old pal trying to catch up, but audibly yelped when the two of them lifted quickly into the air, soaring away into the darkening Gotham sky.

They touched down several blocks away on the roof of one of the taller buildings in that particular section of the city. "She never said you could fly!" Bette snapped, despite the very exhilarating rush she'd felt once she'd calmed down long enough to enjoy the trip.

"I dunno why, that's the fun part." Deke said with a snicker. "Sorry, it's just a whole lot faster than running. Plus, we're less likely to get spotted up here. What's your tracker telling you?"

Bette reached into the pouch and withdrew the old smartphone that Barbara had hacked and repurposed for her. "Thirty first and Brinkman, they've been there several minutes already. Must've hauled ass to get there."

"Yeah, that's our next stop. I'mma check in first." Deke said and withdrew his own phone, quickly dashing off a text to Barbara to let her know what was going on. Her reply was swift and sweet, telling them to be careful, she loved him, and that she'd see them later.

Leaning over, Bette noticed the messaging between the pair of them. She kept it to herself, trying desperately hard to keep her thoughts 'quiet', whatever that meant. When she looked at her impromptu partner, she saw only an amused expression on his face. "Sorry." She said, a bit red in the face.

"Nah, it's cool. You ready?" He asked, pocketing his phone. When Bette nodded, he flicked the tiny button on the left arm of his glasses, triggering the light amplification mode on them. He then keyed the address where Bette's tracker listed Brick and his people into his navigation app on his smartwatch, and got an overlay.

Bette stepped in and let him wrap an arm around her once more. This time she was prepared, and noticed the very careful pressure he exerted around her, and the intentional placement of his hand in the most polite location possible. Then, another sensation as though gravity was letting them break the law, and they were off, soaring through the Gotham skyline.

Conscious of the situation, Bette forced her eyes open against the chill air, and took in the sights of her hometown, seeing it from an entirely new perspective for the first time. From this altitude, the cars seemed like tiny toys and the citizens were barely specks. "Have you taken her flying?" Bette asked, knowing the answer before even voicing the question.

"Yep." Deke replied over the rush of wind they were generating. To think, at one point this was his top speed, at which he couldn't turn to save his life. And he thought he was going fast then, ha! "Don't freak out, I'm setting you down first." He said, and immediately let go with his arm.

Bette shrieked for a moment, until she realized she wasn't falling. Her descent was much more controlled, making her feel like a leaf on the wind. It was several seconds before she touched down on the roof of the building opposite where her tracker put Brick's Escalade. She immediately ducked down behind the crenellation on the roof and dug her binoculars out before scanning the front of the place. One of a thousand multi-story high rises in Gotham, the fact that it was as unremarkable as it was, was perhaps the only thing remarkable about it.

Until one looked at the empty parking lot next to the place. Full of high end luxury and sports cars, there was nothing unremarkable about that. She checked her repurposed phone to verify that one of the black SUV's was in fact the one she was looking for, and was satisfied with the results.

The sheer absurdity of what happened next almost took her by complete surprise. A hot dog was floating next to her, wrapped in aluminum foil, but smelling unmistakably like a proper Gotham dog. New York might think they were the peak of dirty water franks, but in reality, they were just the best known.

"Here, this one's yours. I had to text Babs to see how you took it." Deke said, alighting casually next to her. He sat down with his back against the crenellation and unwrapped his own snack, a large smoked sausage with brown mustard, kraut, peppers and onions.

"She kisses you after eating something like that?" Bette asked, turning her nose up at the sight. She was a classic mustard and relish kind of girl herself.

"That's why I carry mints." Deke said, handing Bette a bottle of diet soda. He'd seen her pound a case of the stuff during midterm and finals weeks, so he knew for sure that was her particular poison. "See anything?"

"Nope. Curtains are drawn on the top floor suite, the rest of the place looks like apartments." Bette replied, nibbling at her hot dog. "You have a plan?"

"Observe and report unless violence happens." Deke said around a mouthful of smoked sausage. "All we really can do."

"So, why'd you even bring me?" Bette asked, curious about the whole situation. This was not something worth seeing, a quick explanation would have sufficed.

"Olive branch mostly. I'd rather have friends than enemies. Plus, the inside of that bunker is boring as hell." Deke replied, closing his eyes and pushing his psychic senses outwards, trying to listen to what was beyond their eyesight.

"We'll get there. I got some thinking I need to do but I don't hate you, I never did, and why do you have that look on your face?" Bette asked, wondering what had caused him to suddenly look terrified.

"We gotta go." He said, and rose, letting the rest of his hot dog fall on the roof. He made a slightly dramatic pulling gesture towards the roof patio door to the penthouse, and the thing ripped from its hinges with ease. He took a leap and soared that way, using his powers to pull her up and along, and set her down carefully once they'd cleared the street.

Surprised by the sudden action, it took Bette a minute to readjust herself to her new surroundings, and when she had, she wished she hadn't.

Within the penthouse, bodies lay everywhere. Furniture was disheveled and strewn about, and blood covered every surface imaginable in the opulent room. Fighting back an encore performance of her hot dog, Bette stepped back fully onto the patio to get some fresh air. "Oh my God." She muttered over and over again, trying desperately to make sense of the sight within the place.

With his own stomach in similar knots, Deke tapped a small button on the right side of his glasses. "Babe," he said, sending a direct voice signal to Barbara's phone. "You're gonna wanna see this."


	28. Chapter 27

March 31st  
Gotham City  
2120 EST

"What in God's name happened here?" Batgirl asked, surveying the room while snapping pictures as though it were going out of style. She picked her way through the place with a casual grace, tiptoeing between the blood pools as easily as one might step around a sleeping dog. The sight was more carnage than even she'd ever seen since working in the city, and that was saying something in a town where the Joker occasionally played Cowboys and Indians, without letting anyone else in on the joke.

"I used the infrared thermometer," Mustang replied in a slow, measured voice. He was using his powers to keep his stomach's contents firmly in place. "One of these guys was ninety two degrees right after I called you. We must have just missed the shooters."

Barbara shook her head. "Shooter. As in, one of them." She replied, the scene playing out in her head. The way the bodies were arrayed, the streaks of blood in the oldest pools, and the distribution of shell casings told her one thing. One person had come here and killed twenty three men. "Professional too. Three shots in every body. Two to center mass, one headshot. Center mass came from an intermediate rifle, either an AK or AR variant, and the headshots are larger pistol caliber, probably forty five. It'd take a week to process all this brass to be sure though. "

Behind them, they heard Bette lose the battle with her own stomach, emptying the contents into the large evidence bag Barbara had handed her. Daeva spoke softly and reassuringly to her, unwilling to survey the carnage, but similarly unwilling to sit at home on her bum when she could help somehow.

"First she's yakked," Deke said casually. His own intestinal fortitude had been developed during cadaver work in school, though he was still using his powers as insurance. "She's tougher than she looks."

Barbara nodded in agreement. "Flamebird, you okay?" she asked, forcing herself to use her friend's codename. When the blonde girl nodded weakly, Barbara turned back to the scene. "Brick's in there. So is Black Mask, Frank Bertinelli, Salvatore Falcone, Frank Maroni, Scarface, and Theodore Cohen, who we suspect of working for the Penguin. Someone escaped too."

"Who?" Deke asked reflexively. That was a silly question to ask.

"Clock King if I had to guess." Barbara said, turning her back to the scene before texting her father quickly. At her boy's surprised reaction, she elaborated. "Someone slipped out amidst a hail of gunfire, and the only evidence they'd been there was one chair pushed to the side and still standing. _Nobody_ but Clock King has that kind of timing."

"You think it was the Joker?" Deke asked, quietly questioning his love to better understand the situation, and to try and contribute something.

"No, the Joker would have blown them to Hell if he wasn't back in Arkham. Two Face would've too, or hired an army to make a mess of things." Barbara said, running potential suspects through her mind. "This isn't something you'd see Hatter, Ivy, or Clayface get involved in either. This was old school gang warfare." Barbara answered thoughtfully.

"Red Hood?" Deke asked, almost unwillingly. When Barbara turned to glare at him for a moment, he knew he'd said something wrong, though her expression calmed quickly.

"No," she said quietly after a moment's thought. "Jason had his problems, but he's worked through it. If there's anyone in Gotham he'd still try and kill, it'd be the Joker, and he missed his chance the other week. This isn't him, though the work looks close enough I can't blame you for making the guess."

"Sirens." Aasha piped up as she stroked Bette's back through another wave of nausea.

"Good response time." Barbara said, her voice cold and calculating. "Daeva, get Flamebird please. Mustang, if you wouldn't mind?"

"Gotcha." Deke said, and lifted his love in his telekinetic grasp. The four of them sailed off into the night sky, leaving the scene for Gotham PD to process. 

* * *

"That poor girl." Aasha said once she and Deke were alone in the apartment. "She barely has her toes wet and she has to see that."

Deke nodded as he stepped out of the bathroom, toweling his hair dry. He'd went ahead and let his stomach do what it wanted once he'd gotten home, figuring it'd be easier than fighting nausea. Some had gotten in his hair though, so he'd just caught a quick shower to handle the problem. "You doing okay?"

"I am." Aasha said, already back in her pajamas. "Babs warned me not to look before we got there."

"That was pure fucked up Ash." Deke said from the bedroom, almost feeling guilty for his language despite Barbara not being in the apartment. "We've seen some messed up stuff, but that was straight mass murder."

"Yes, if you'd please not remind me." Aasha asked, feeling a bit green just from imagining it. "Why are we not out with her?" she asked further, trying to steer the subject away from the grisly scene.

"Because she asked us not to. Apparently, the longer she can keep the Clock King from getting a clue about us, the better use we'd be later if it comes to it. Besides, she's hunting him to warn him, not bring him in." Deke replied, exiting the bedroom in his pajamas. "I think she's taking the car over to Blüdhaven to try and get Nightwing's help face to face too."

"Batman would have used him as bait." Aasha said tartly, taking the time to apply fresh nail polish to her toes. Her tone of voice said all it needed to, to explain how she felt about that. "At least Nightwing doesn't operate like that."

"Robin does though. That kid is almost as messed up as Batman is, and he's still roaming the city." Deke said, sitting down next to Aasha on the sofa and picking up the Playstation controller.

"Heaven help this town then." Aasha said. "Batman skipping out has certainly invited the crazies out."

"The whole senior league skipped for a while apparently. Kaldur and the blonde Green Lantern with the messed up haircut are the two in charge right now. Captain Marvel isn't even around." Deke said, selecting his character and beginning progress on the latest Street Fighter game. That Batman was DLC for the game was still hilarious to him. "I'm beginning to think Metropolis is getting used to seeing me."

"At least you got Metropolis. I've been bouncing about to and fro. I'll be happy once they get whatever situation resolved they're dealing with." Aasha said, stifling a yawn.

"You and me both. Liho's been underwater for so long he said he forgot what being dry felt like. Ingrid and Maddie are holding the rest of the team together though." Deke said, breezing through El Fuerte in the first stage.

"Speaking of, when do we pick up Fujin? Kris told me but I had Maddie in my ear when he told me." Aasha asked, moving on to her other foot, wiggling her small toes to stretch them out.

"April second is his release date. We're all supposed to be there." Deke replied absently, taking Chun Li down almost as quickly.

"Alright, good to know. How do they look?" Aasha asked, sticking her feet up towards Deke's face. He paused his game and moved his head away, as much surprised as trying to get his eyes to focus correctly.

"Adorable." He said with a naughty look on his face. "They look so little and cute!" he added, watching her begin fuming at his words. She was about to scold him when she immediately jerked at his tickling of her feet.

"I will burn your hair off, I swear I will!" Aasha threatened through gales of laughter. "I'll, I'll, I do something bad to your dick, I don't know what yet but I'll do it!"

Deke quit, though he set her feet in his lap. She had the worst habit of curling into a ball if anyone sat on the couch with her, trying to escape to give them more room and it's not something she needed to do. Even stretched out, she didn't take up that much space after all. "Seriously, that's a nice color for you. Doing your fingers next?" He asked, picking his controller back up so he could introduce his create-a-character to Zangief.

"Yeah, I'm procrastinating." Aasha said while catching her breath, not perfectly willing to admit it. "I should be studying for my citizenship exam but it's so overwhelming. I had no idea I needed to know as much as I do."

"Hell Ash, I couldn't pass the citizenship exam, don't feel bad. Do you know what you want to do the day you get it though?" Deke asked, trying to make conversation while taking a first round loss to the Russian wrestler.

"Honestly love, I don't know. Babs, Kris, and Green Arrow have all offered to throw me a party if I'd like it. The Hacienda is certainly big enough for it now, but I'm also leaning towards a night in as well." Aasha said, brushing the polish on her thumbnail. It was a rich forest green that Ingrid had given her, and a pricey brand too.

"Big party or a quiet night in, it'll be your day, so it's up to you." Deke suggested, getting his revenge on Zangief and moving on to E. Honda. Both big men right in a row? He wasn't good enough at the game for that.

"I never said a quiet night." Aasha replied sassily. "Babs is quite the screamer after all."

"Damn Ash." Deke sputtered. She was _very_ clearly picturing this and making no attempt to do so in a 'quiet' fashion. "Okay, there's that too."

"Sorry, you know how this birth control works. That was unkind, and I shouldn't have." Aasha said, feeling legitimately bad. She'd just had some time to herself with him recently; she didn't need to be greedy.

"It's cool Ash, no harm no foul." Deke said honestly, though he paused his game again. "Speaking of it though, my birthday's coming up, and I wanted to talk to you about it."

"Oh, would you like to just keep it to you and Barbara this year?" She asked, surprised such a request hadn't been made sooner than this. She might be welcomed into their home, and she knew she was loved and cared for, but she was the mistress in this engagement and she knew it.

"No." Deke said, his tone making it clear that he was looking forward to getting tangled up with both of them. "No hon. Babs and I were talking the other day while you were at work, and she reminded me that you never ask for anything special on your birthday."

So, there was that. It was something she was hoping she might not have to explain now that she'd told Deke about her desires when it was the three of them together. "I'm happy just spending it with both of you." She said in a demure tone.

"And that's awesome, but you know how Babs is, and you know I'm no different. We agreed that we're taking too much, so for my birthday this year, I'm giving it to you. What do you wanna do?" Deke asked, patting her feet lovingly.

"I don't want to ask you for anything though." Aasha all but whined. That was far too much. "How about we have ourselves a nice all-day marathon, shall we? The kind where we all walk funny for a day or two afterwards."

"You're stalling." Deke chided, his tone and demeanor as patient as possible considering the circumstances.

"Yes, I am." Aasha said, setting the bottle of nail polish down. "Look, it kind of spoils the whole dynamic if I ask for things, and since I've told you both about it, that's bad enough. I'm probably a terrible sub already."

"So? You're the best at being an Aasha though." He reminded her, using his telekinetics to summon the throw blanket sitting on the chair to cover his lap and her legs with. "How about this? Share a fantasy with me instead. It'd make me happy to hear."

"I see what you're doing, you cheeky bastard, but the hard truth is, I've done it already. I've gone to bed with you and Barbara, alone and at the same time. I wasn't looking for it the first time, but once it happened, I couldn't really dream about anything else." Aasha explained bashfully. Admitting that wasn't easy, as it made her feel like she'd effectively confessed just how deep her feelings really ran.

Again, she puzzled him, which he figured was karmic payback for Babs being so direct and linear. "I guess this is one of those things I'm not gonna really get, but okay Ash. I don't have to understand it to respect it. If you're happy, then we're happy."

"I am happy love, I really am. So much so that doing the apartment search has been miserable. I know I have to do it, I promised and I swore, and I won't back out of that, but I don't want to leave here. Being on the team has given me purpose, but being in this place has given me peace." Aasha said, letting the rest out since she'd gone ahead and admitted everything else.

Deke nodded and offered her his arms. She sat up and leaned into them, allowing him to pull her up and into his grip, where he wrapped her up in a warm embrace. He had nothing he could say to her, so instead he figured a good hug would cover it.

She curled up on him easily, as Aashas are wont to do, and remained like that for a while, just comfortable in the moment. One large yawn from her after another while longer was enough to tell Deke what needed to happen next. "Let's get you to bed." He said, standing up with her. "And that's not what I mean you little perv."

Aasha giggled and held on as he carried her into the bedroom. "Sorry, you're the one talking nasty, not me." She countered, but when he let her down on the bed, she wrapped up in the blanket, clearly uninterested in actually going through with anything spicy. "You coming to bed soon or do I have all this space to myself?"

"I'm staying up a while, at least until I hear from Babs. I don't sleep well when she's on mission." Deke said while leaning in the doorway.

"She's the same way with you." Aasha said in a sleepy voice. "When you were in Metropolis last, she was up until three in the morning, watching the news."

"We do it with you hon." Deke told her. "I guess we _are_ that kind of family. Night sweetie."

"G'night love." Aasha said, and cuddled up into the blankets, her thoughts and heart warmed. She listened to him walk back into the living space, and waited until she heard the stage music to his game, before giggling softly to herself, a quiet expression of pure joy. At the core of her very sorcerous existence, Aasha Kathryn Nagra was a very simple being. She needed little in life, but what she did need, she was happily getting.


	29. Chapter 28

March 31st  
Blüdhaven  
2315 EST

Andre turned to look over his shoulder as he ran down the alleyway. He'd been chased by Nightwing before, and he'd failed to catch him once, and by the looks of things, he'd get away again. It paid to be the fastest runner in the city when the families came calling to have some work done.

When he turned, a flash of red amidst the shadows was the last thing he saw before pain blossomed in his jaw and darkness claimed him. Standing above him, his assailant, the Batgirl, set about the task of cuffing him with an almost casual ease.

"I was letting him get away." Nightwing called from the fire escape above her. "He's been great at leading me where I want to be."

"Sure, tell yourself that." Batgirl said, using line to string the guy up like a piñata. She watched Dick execute a series of flips and springs from the walls of the two buildings, coming to a graceful landing a couple feet away.

"It's good detective work." Dick replied, stepping in towards her for a hug. "I've missed you guys."

Barbara returned it warmly. "We've missed you too." She replied. "Can we talk somewhere privately?" she asked, switching gears quickly.

"Yeah, since you ruined my investigation, sure." He said with a shrug, and fired off a line, sinking it into the tallest building within range. She followed suit, and for the next several minutes the two of them roped through Blüdhaven, just like they'd done in Gotham not that long ago.

"So, what's up?" Dick asked while leaning against the support structure of a large roof based neon sign. Barbara stood across from him, arms crossed beneath her breasts, her stance almost perfectly mirrored otherwise.

"Gotham's got a problem, a big one." She said after a moment, trying to find just the right words to convey the gravity of the situation. "Someone's killing criminal heads. Brick, Black Mask and Scarface tonight for sure, and nobody's heard from Two Face in a few days."

"You could have called me about that." Dick said, trying to divine her reason for meeting face to face. Of the top ten cybersecurity experts in the world, they were two of them, so telecommunication wasn't something they worried about being spied on during.

"Yeah, well, Batman's been gone, ostensibly doing work with the League, but the crime scene was too familiar, like I'd seen it before. I wasn't going to say anything in front of anyone else until I got your opinion on the matter." Barbara said, tossing him a small memory chip.

Dick slid it into his wrist computer and began accessing the files contained therein. Immediately, he saw the crime scene photos she'd taken, each of them opening in sequence. She'd shot the photographs in what he assumed to be her estimation of chronological events, and his own evaluation concurred with her. He wasn't sure why he felt so strong that this theory was sound until the thought struck him. "This is almost exactly how Batman staged that fake scene for us in the cave when we were training. "

"So it wasn't just me." Barbara said quietly. "I was worried I was projecting onto the situation, and I really needed to see your face when you looked at the pictures."

"No, as far as I'm concerned, you're right, this is scary close. You don't think he's cracked or something, do you? Finally gone off the deep end?" Dick asked, though he felt rebellion in his heart for even thinking it. He and Bruce had their differences, and there were plenty of them, but he couldn't believe this was something Bruce would do.

"I don't know what to think, and Gotham's only going to get worse. It's me and Damien right now, really. With Tim gone, and Deke and Aasha being global, it's getting more and more obvious he's not around." Barbara said with a frown. Over the past few nights, things had indeed gotten progressively worse, with tonight being a tipping point.

"You want some help?" Dick asked, not sure if that's what she was driving towards or not. "I don't mind."

Barbara shook her head. "No, I can handle it for now. I won't be shy if I need it later, but right now, I just needed confirmation about what I saw. I can't go to anyone else about this, except maybe Jason, and you know why I won't do that."

"Yeah, I get it. Babs, if it turns out to be _him_ though, promise me you're going to get all hands on this. If he's got plans to take down the entire League, you know he's got plans for everyone else too." Dick asked, genuinely worried about it coming to that.

Barbara nodded and scowled at the thought; it made sense really, perfect sense, as to why Batman would be prepared in the event that any of the League members might decide to go rogue. If Superman or one of the Lanterns took a notion, they could eliminate the planet from the solar system. It left her wondering if he had plans in place for Deke, Aasha, or Kristof, three people she was well aware were on a similar level of power, despite all three of them 'dumbing' themselves down.

"I promise." Barbara replied, unhappy doing so. She firmly believed that it wasn't him, but the evidence was far too coincidental. "I need to get back to Gotham though, Damien's by himself and I have a feeling Gotham PD's going to be processing the Penguin's corpse before the end of the week."

"Yeah, I've got things on lock here. You know how to get ahold of me privately." Dick said, firing off a line and soaring off into the night. It left Barbara standing there, still leaning against the support structure of the massive neon sign. She worried about Dick here, with no support or backup, either in or out of the costume. As kids, they crushed on each other, and while it had gone nowhere, she still loved him as a member of her family. She wanted to see him happy, and here in Blüdhaven it seemed like he was one single drop of water in the ocean.

Nobody was going to handle Dick's life but him though, she knew that, and so she fired off a line of her own to get back to where she'd left the Batmobile locked down in security mode. Maybe, she thought on her way to the car, she could call Tim, check on him too. He was doing his damnedest to put together his team, she might be able to offer some advice.

"You're mothering them." She finally muttered to herself as she ran across a series of roofs, leaping and flipping over HVAC units and dividing walls. The world was moving too quickly for her tastes, things spiraling away from her grasp, and she was instinctively taking it out on the people she loved. Better it this way than anger, but all the same, this was her cross to bear.

* * *

It was late by the time Barbara made it back into the cave. She parked the car in the usual spot and went to hang the keys up, when Bruce's chair spun around. Startled, she paused a moment to see why, and that pause saved her life.

"Hello Bruce." The visitor said; his voice muffled under the bandages wrapping his face. Dressed in a heavy gray overcoat, whoever the hell the guy was flicked his thumb over a button, causing a small explosion to erupt on the staircase leading from the parking hub up into the cave proper.

Still several feet away from her shorter stride and abrupt pause, Barbara was able to roll away from the worst of the explosion, ducking behind a series of large metal shipping boxes full of the resources necessary to continue fighting the good fight.

"You're not him." The man said, coming out of the seat and pulling a pair of revolvers out from under his coat. " _Where's Bruce_!?"

"Sorry, on vacation, you've got me instead." Barbara replied, whipping a batarang towards the man. She used the attack as a distraction to move, dashing into one of the darker portions of the cave.

Above her, the man simply shot the thing out of the air and leapt over the safety railing to land several feet further down on a landing. "I'm not here for you. I want him." The man called out, his keen eyes scanning the cave, trying to track the Batgirl. He hadn't prepared the cave to fight her, leaving him at a serious disadvantage compared to Bruce.

Another batarang whistled through the air, this time from above him, he turned, leveling the revolver in his left hand, and pulled the trigger, just like Barbara had expected him to. The small concussion explosive triggered, catching him in the blast and knocking him several feet back and down on his back.

Not feeling chatty, she declined to reply, instead ducking back into the shadows. Pressing her advantage now wasn't wise, since she still didn't know his capabilities. What she _did_ know was that he was a terrifyingly accurate pistol shot, though he'd chosen revolvers for the job. Twelve shots maximum, but given the deep booming report when he fired, odds were better that it was ten large caliber rounds. Her armor could handle two slugs for certain, so risking movement at that point was calculated and worth it.

The man got to his feet, shaking his head clear, and got into motion, running fast and leaping down stairs whenever possible. He wasn't about to make himself an easier target if he didn't have to. "Keep this up and we're going to have a quarrel." He called out. "My vendetta is with Bruce, nobody else. The butler and the kid don't even know I'm here."

"We have a quarrel already." He heard behind him, just as two slender, but very strong arms locked around his neck in a textbook chokehold.

Thirteen seconds before the blood carrying oxygen to the brain is cut off from pressure against the carotid artery. The man turned his head into the choke to buy himself time and wrapped his arms around himself in a hug, triggering four more shots in an effort to get her off of him. She was too slender though, and in this coat his reach was constricted. This was another case of being prepared for Bruce, not one of his protégés, as the coat was armored specifically to handle the way Bruce fought.

Finally, he drove his body back, using the advantage of his much bigger frame, and was rewarded with the sound of air getting knocked from her body as she struck the wall hard. Three more times he did this before her grip loosened up enough for him to get free, turning out of her grip before twisting his body to come face to face with her.

He lashed out a hard kick, catching her left knee and bringing her down, the pain blossoming and exploding like fireworks on the Fourth. Not giving up, Barbara snapped a quick hammer-hand punch into his solar plexus, the force from the quick strike enough to shove him back, giving her time to get back to her feet.

She stepped into his arm's reach, taking the advantage of his guns away from him, and headbutted him, using the armor plate in her cowl to add weight, smashing his nose and causing the bandages wrapping his face to start soaking blood. The sudden pain blinded him temporarily, so she capitalized on it, rocking him hard with a quick combo of punches and elbow shots.

He absorbed the damage, though he was going to be feeling it the next day, and realized this needed to end quickly. Taking the blows, he put his revolvers against her stomach the next time she struck, and let both barrels go. The sudden shock and impact put her down, though the lack of blood spatter told him what he'd expected.

Tossing the pistols aside, he grabbed her by the arm while she lay on the ground, gasping for breath as the two high caliber slugs had done a serious number on her. He reached into his coat, removed a syringe, and with a casual ease he pulled the cap off with his teeth and jabbed it into the hollow of her elbow, easily bypassing the Kevlar nanoweave in her second skin.

"You better hope someone upstairs heard that." He said, giving her about a quarter of the dosage contained within the syringe, before tossing it aside. "Next time I'm not playing nice."

Immediately, Barbara could begin feeling the effects of whatever he'd given her. Her body was beginning to resist her commands, wanting to go limp. She mustered what she had left, and tapped the alert button on her belt, praying she'd put enough muscle into the action to actually trigger the alert, before she felt her lungs begin ignoring the reflexive need to breathe. Even the two explosions wouldn't be heard upstairs, the amount of stone and concrete and steel used to reinforce the cave separating the two locations quite well. That alert was the only hope she had.

* * *

Sitting on the couch, absently playing a video game, Deke's phone went off. For a half a second, he had no idea what was going on, as it was a tone he hadn't set and didn't recognize. When he glanced at the screen and saw the words 'EMERGENCY ALERT' and a map showing a location, he realized what was going on.

"Fuck." He muttered, and dashed straight to the window. "Ash! Wake up and wait for me to call!" he shouted, his voice gruff, adding a wave of telepathic pulse to his words to make sure her brain recognized it, before he threw open the window and leapt out, uncaring as to who might see.

He began rocketing through the air, pushing himself as fast as he could risk and still see where he was going. The map had shown her at Wayne Manor, with a rider on the Batcave. He was glad he'd talked Tim into sending him the emergency alerts on a carrier signal, especially with Batman gone. Bearing hard that way, he kept himself just below supersonic to prevent breaking the sound barrier, and shot into the cave through the Batwing's access point, twisting and turning through the obstacles that made it all but impossible to approach from the air unless you knew the path.

Absently, he was glad he'd spent more time developing maneuverability over the past couple of years. Being the flying brick had gotten old quickly, and he never could have done this otherwise. As he flew, icy dread gripped at his heart. She'd only triggered that alert four times in the past six years, and once was to help him out, not her. Two more were in her first year. His girl wasn't shy about asking for help when she knew she needed it, but it was just how damn good she was that had him so worried. That she needed help at all meant very bad things.

Once within the cave, he reached out, trying to touch Barbara's mind. Her thoughts were faint, but they were there, and he used this to guide himself to her, coming to a landing beside her amidst the knocked over crates and other strewn bits of things. Nothing looked dramatically wrong, which was a massive problem as he couldn't assess the situation, so he began using his powers to unfasten her costume, every closure coming loose at once.

"Babe, what's wrong? What happened?" he asked, fighting his fear and nerves back as he peeled her out of her getup. Once the armor was off, he saw the two slugs and the massive damage they'd done, though that hadn't transferred near enough to her body to cause her breathing and heart rate to dip so low.

Eyes open and blankly staring at him, she screamed in her own mind, trying to explain. The static from her was too powerful, too confused and hurt and scared for him to fully grasp. He couldn't sift through it all, and the pressure began assaulting his head. With a grimace and a shake of his head, he continued undressing her, getting her down to the thin athletic gear she wore beneath the whole thing, before lifting her telekinetically up and sending her to the exam table.

"My word!" Deke heard from the top of the stairs. "What's happened down here?" Alfred asked, rushing down the stairs to see to Barbara. The damage to the cave was minimal, and there was no threat to their safety, so he immediately began looking over her.

"Mister O'Connely, what's wrong with her?" Alfred asked, grabbing the emergency kit and preparing to go to work.

"Don't know, her armor ate the slugs, but she's barely breathing and her pulse is really low. I can't sift through her thoughts either." Deke replied, squeezing her hand. He immediately began shifting his perceptions, feeling out her nervous and circulatory systems, when he discovered the suppression of her nervous system. "Paralytic, could be anything though. Curare, Tetrodotoxin, Succinylcholine, something else. I can keep her lungs and heart working until she metabolizes it. There's a syringe laying over by the crates on the bottom floor."

"I'll analyze it so we can neutralize it." Alfred replied, glancing around quickly in a double check of their safety. The look on the young man's face was one he'd worn plenty often, masked terror. He hid it well enough, but all of the telltale signs were there. The overly calm demeanor, the way he kept his eyes fixed on her, it was quite telling.

"I've got you babe." Deke said to the divine gift he'd been given. "You're safe. How's the other guy? Twice as bad, right?"

Feeling relief at her diaphragm being gently operated, and her heart pumping a bit quicker, Barbara was able to calm herself. Inside her thoughts, she smiled at her man, and pushed another thought at him, showing him the blood-stained bandaged face of her assailant.

She'd hurt him, horribly bad. He'd eaten several shots to the body in the attempt to put her down, more than a few designed purely to damage organs. At a minimum he'd be pissing blood for a week, and most likely, he'd be down several days nursing internal injuries.

More than that, she had a sample of his blood on her left gauntlet. In a few short hours, they'd have DNA, and whoever this guy was, who wanted to keep his identity so hush hush, they'd have him.


	30. Chapter 29

April 1st  
Gotham City  
0210 EST

Finally breathing on her own, Barbara recanted her story to Alfred and Deke. She'd explained the booby trap, and that had been enough to send Alfred scouring the security footage to make sure there weren't any more surprises. While she talked, she fought back the remainder of the adrenalin, which was threatening to send her into a dizzy spell. The sheer terror from feeling her body trying to just stop had gripped her harder than anything besides seeing her boy getting loaded by Air Force PJ's into a chopper after getting smacked by Darkseid.

"How's your pain?" Deke asked her gently, still so calm about the whole thing. She marveled at his clinical detachment, feeling proud of him, and feeling vindicated as well. She'd seen this potential in him, and she was glad to see she was right.

Speaking of clinically, she considered her answer to his question. She was sore from where the slugs had hit her armor, but the new Non-Newtonian gel layer in her armor had arrested the impact almost entirely. "Maybe a three or so." She said with a yawn, the adrenaline crash starting in on her.

"Cool, I can prescribe something for that." Deke said, brushing her hair from her face with one hand, while handing her a bottle of naproxen with the other. "Two of these and kiss me in the morning." He said.

"Why wait?" she replied, leaning towards him and placing a sweet smooch on his forehead. "We need to alert Gotham PD to keep an eye on the hospitals, in case this guy shows up. I worked a number on him." She added, switching gears.

"Yeah, you did. I saw the footage, but I've got a feeling we won't see him sitting in a hospital bed. He used succinylcholine on you, and he jammed the thing in your arm and still hit a vein, plus he dosed you right. I've got a feeling whoever this guy is; he's a Doctor, or a really seasoned medic of some sort. He's for sure tore up though, nobody's gonna argue that." Deke said, handing his love a bottle of water.

"Something about the way he talked bugged me." Barbara said after taking the two over the counter pills. "He mentioned Alfred and Damien like he knew they were upstairs, but Damien is still on patrol. He has been since nine or so. He also had no idea who I was either, like he was completely unprepared for me. It helped, but I don't think I'll get another advantage like that again. He knew all about Bruce though, he knew about the cave, he knew exactly how Bruce walked, he was prepared specifically to fight him, and only him."

"So his intel is old, that's a lead. Sounds like someone from Bruce's past." Deke said, checking her blood pressure again to make sure her vitals remained strong.

"The list of people from Master Bruce's history who'd like to do him harm is quite long, unfortunately." Alfred said from the big seat at the computer.

Barbara nodded ruefully, and considered her next move. They were woefully uninformed, and the people closest to Bruce were unable to fill in the gaps. It left an option open, but that involved opening a box she wasn't particularly sure she wanted to open. "We might have to ask for some outside help."

"You want to go see the Question again?" Deke asked, picking up on her thoughts.

"Do I want to? No. Do we need to? Yes, very much we do." Barbara replied. "Alfred, can you please get my spare armor? I have to go back out tonight."

"No ma'am, I cannot." Alfred said, turning in his chair to look at her with more disapproval than he'd probably ever shown her. Until this moment, she'd shown considerably more sense than any of the boys he'd raised, though now she wasn't. "And I have already locked the case. Tomorrow is another night, and if you hurt this man half as hard as it appeared you did, he will be going nowhere for a few days. If you don't feel well enough to travel, I will happily make up your room here. Otherwise, I'm quite certain Mister O'Connelly would be happy to take you home."

"Uhm, I'm pretty sure that's him telling you what's what darlin'." Deke said, wishing he could high five Alfred. A good night's sleep and she'd be perfect. Not to mention Aasha was most likely worried sick, and deserved to check on her firsthand.

Barbara scowled before her sharp features softened. "This is what it's like when I do it to you, isn't it?" She asked her love.

"Yeah, pretty much exactly the same thing." Deke said, and got up from the small stool next to the exam table, gathering her gear and carefully putting it into a plain black shoulder bag. "So, how's about you listen to the wise gentleman who really does care about your well-being?"

"Okay, tomorrow it is. I can accept that. May I at least get some clothes?" She asked Alfred politely.

"I shall gather you a sweater and some jeans Miss. Wouldn't want any pesky extra equipment you might have stashed to fall into your bag." Alfred said kindly, proving one didn't have to possess psychic abilities to read minds. After raising three Robins, Batman himself, as well as her, it didn't take a proper clairvoyant to read intention.

"He's good." Deke commented, unplugging a flash drive from the computer. It was a long shot, but he figured if the exact makeup of the chemicals could lead to a manufacturer, which might narrow things down.

"He's damn good." Barbara corrected in a quietly impressed tone. "That's just who Alfred is." 

* * *

It was almost three in the morning. Aasha was up, dressed, and prepared to bring forth a storm of fire that would be best described as Biblical upon the city of Gotham. She'd alternated between pacing through the apartment, sitting and biting her fingernails, having herself a productive cry, and back to pacing again, when the door opened.

Seeing Babs walk in, on her own power no less, sent a wave of relief through her so powerfully that Deke nearly rocked back on his feet from the psychic pressure. She squeaked unintelligible words and rushed to her female lover and wrapped her in a strong embrace.

"I was positively terrified!" She finally managed to say with any real clarity. Feeling incredibly loved, Barbara wrapped her arms around Aasha in return, and just stroked her hair softly while the smaller woman cried her worry out.

"Ash, I'm okay, I promise." Barbara said, trying to console the girl, who wasn't having any of it. Finally, she had to settle on heading to the couch with her to continue things in a seated position.

Behind them, she heard Deke walk into the bedroom. A faint light poured out from behind the crack of the mostly closed door, and over the mighty sobs from Aasha, Barbara could hear some kind of rustling of fabric. Shortly thereafter, he opened the bedroom door, dressed in warm and just as important, dry pajamas.

"Ash, hon." He said to the still visibly upset girl. "Can you let her go so we can all get to bed? It's awful late."

"Fine, but I insist that she take over as monkey in the middle tonight." Aasha said, referencing the person who'd be in the middle in the bed. It had become something of a necessity to take turns, since any middle of the night kind of activities were made altogether more difficult when they were the one in between the other two.

"I'll give my spot up, I don't mind." Deke drawled. He looked at Barbara, who was a whirlwind of feelings. She absolutely felt loved, but that was coupled with her frustration and fright from earlier in the night, though she tempered it with the knowledge of just how bad this bandage faced guy had needed to let himself get hurt to stand a chance of putting her down.

"Ash, honey, you're setting feminism back about fifty years here love." Barbara said, gently pushing her away enough so that she could get up and get dressed for bed.

"Sorry," Aasha said, visibly contrite. "When he woke me, I knew something was terribly wrong, and I couldn't help but think the worst. I know that's awful of me, but I was scared to death. I'm relieved to see you're well now though."

"I'd say, the rain's letting up." Deke said, realizing who might have been the culprit for the early spring rain. Gotham had plenty of it, but to end just as she'd gotten over her worry, the evidence was quite damning. He'd been able to deflect it until they'd touched down on the roof, even considering the long route away from the city, as well as the high altitude he'd taken to ensure they couldn't be followed in case the intruder hadn't strayed that far when he made his escape.

"I didn't even realize I was doing that." Aasha said, her cheeks coloring. She got up and stepped close to Barbara, who put an arm around her to lead her into the bedroom.

They got into pajamas quickly and curled up under the blanket. Barbara noticed Deke had turned the bed down, and slipped into the center. Before long, she had her boy's arms around her, and her own arms around her girl. The small lamp turned off then, the switch flipped by remote, and the trio settled in.

Before getting to sleep, because he was still far too upset over the course of the evening to properly let go to crash, Deke began setting about the business of realigning his love's natural flow of energy, allowing every system in her body to function at their absolute peak. While he'd missed a night here or there, it was safe to assume this was something he did without fail. She'd believed in him when nobody else had, shown him how to be greater than the sum of his own parts, and taught him how to love, and be loved in return. In the course of history, Barbara Joan Gordon might not stand alongside women like Rosa Parks, Queen Elizabeth, or Diana of Themyscira, (though with her, it was still possible) but she had definitely left her mark on his world. 

* * *

The next morning, while sitting around the small dining table in the apartment, Barbara, who'd spent her time since waking up in relative silence, finally spoke up. "I think there's another way to go about this." She said, breaking the dull quiet of the three of them eating.

Deke set his spoon down in his bowl of Super-O's. "Like how?" He asked, not really tracking her mind, not that he ever really could. Her brilliance was almost blinding when he tried getting into the heart of it all.

"The Question is too good for this. We're swatting a fly with a nuke calling him in, and there's a good chance if we do, he'll take a notion to do things his way. I bought us the time, so why not use it? There's someone, a relic of the nineties, who I might be able to get word to. I hate to admit it, but I used to copy her work." Barbara replied thoughtfully. "I can send the message from here, and still make class, and hopefully, when I get back there's going to be something waiting on me. Worse comes to worst, we still have The Question to fall back on."

"You're the smart one here babe." Deke replied, sending Aasha's empty bowl and cup to the kitchenette with a deft wave of his hand. "Who is it though?"

"Someone from Superman's early days, and the reason they call the station Watchtower." Barbara replied, scooting away from the table and leaving half of her egg white omelet still sitting on her plate. She was in that mode, and there was no stopping her.

It also answered nothing, so Deke just looked at Aasha and shrugged. She returned the gesture and wandered into the bathroom to get ready for work. "Alright, you're on this. I've got to get to the clinic anyway, and Ash has to go to the gallery, so I'll see you around lunchtime?"

Barbara nodded and kissed her boy on the nose. "I didn't say it last night, but thank you." She said, stepping into his arms. "That means a lot to me, what you did, what you both did actually."

"Babe, I love you, and you know she does to. That's what this is. Don't thank me for doing what comes naturally." Deke said, giving her a tight squeeze and a kiss, his body tingling at the touch of her lips, just like every other time.

"I know, but still. I've got a lot to think about today because of that, but I absolutely had to start there. Now go get dressed, you know I think your butt looks good in those scrubs." She said, and swatted him on the behind. She giggled as she watched him scoot into the bedroom to change, and took a seat on the couch.

Opening her laptop, she began running several applications, most of which she'd written herself, others based on the coding done by the original Watchtower. The language was archaic, but that was actually beneficial as it let portions of the program slip past security undetected.

Once her setup was ready, Barbara began plugging away at the keyboard, running an IP search protocol using that same security suite. With it running, she could catch the rotating IP address and lock onto the machine using it, giving her a somewhat circuitous version of a direct route to Watchtower.

There was no guarantee she was still in the game. There wasn't really any guarantee she was still alive, but Big Sister never truly went away. If the original wasn't there, then someone most likely was; someone Watchtower trusted implicitly. Someone not even Bruce could track down. At the moment, facing someone who knew Bruce inside and out, the new perspective would be positively necessary. Everyone in Bruce's life could be potentially compromised, she had no way to be sure she wasn't being misdirected by the intruder's actions and apparent ignorance.

With the files attached and the message sent, care of Oracle, Barbara shut her laptop and went back to her omelet. The grilled tomatoes burst as she bit into them, mixing with the spinach and feta cheese in a delicious combination. She'd certainly gotten herself a man who could do both. Speaking of him by the way, she heard him exit the bedroom.

"Bye Babs, I love you." He said, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek. She smiled and kissed him back, and watched him leave the apartment, enjoying the view as he did.

"I love you too Cowboy." She called back. Several minutes later, Aasha exited the bathroom in her underwear, paused for a flirtatious wink, and took over the bedroom to dress and apply her makeup.

The sheer domesticity of their arrangement, no matter how unorthodox is might be, had a calming effect on her as she killed the last of her breakfast. Several of her peers in the life had chosen it so that they weren't leading the domestic nine to five. Artemis, even after retiring from the cowl for so long, had never just wanted kids and the suburbs. Cassie was shaping into the same kind of woman, but for Barbara, who'd lived a life slightly less ordinary, it was as close as she could come to heaven and still draw breath.


	31. Chapter 30

April 1st  
Gotham City  
1245 EST

Following her lunch with her fiancé, Barbara strolled back into their apartment. She burped noisily and giggled at herself, though she wrinkled her nose at the garlic breath that assaulted her sense of smell. She had nobody to blame but herself, since she'd suggested they eat at Vincenzo's, a wonderful little place that few in Gotham even knew existed.

She had an ulterior motive for that selection though. To those in the know, Vincenzo's was a mob eatery, and she wanted to gauge the feeling in the room. Since Gotham PD wasn't going to give the bandaged man the notoriety of being in the papers, all of the criminal families in the city, or what remained of them at any rate, were beginning to fortify themselves in preparation for an all-out war. It was a likely outcome of the man's actions in killing the major criminal players in Gotham, but leaving the really dangerous ones like the Joker, or Ivy, locked up safe and sound in Arkham.

As she'd expected, the tone of the place had been quiet. As legit customers, they were shown perfect courtesy, but the gentlemen, a term she used loosely, sitting around the bar and taking in hushed tones could attest, the management and owners of the places weren't feeling quite so civil.

Her mood grew darker as she considered the implications of that while she ducked into the bathroom for a moment. A mob war between all of the disparate families and organizations in Gotham would turn the streets red, in a hurry. She had all of Artemis, Damien, Deke, and Ash at her disposal in an immediate fashion, Dick could be there within an hour if called, and if it became truly desperate, there was Helena and Bette, though calling them to service so soon was not high up on her list of priorities.

Back out in the living room after washing her hands, she glanced at her laptop screen. As she'd hoped all day, there was an instant message sitting front and center. Barbara slipped onto the couch and opened it up, impressed by what she saw attached to the message. The chemical makeup of the succinylcholine used on her was indeed proprietary, and Watchtower had been thoughtful enough to attach a list of hospitals which stocked that particular formula, only two of which were in Gotham. In addition, there were bios on a few of the doctors there that might have the skills and training to accomplish the feats that their bandaged man had.

More than that, there was a note attached, a scanned image of a handwritten missive, written in a clear hand with unfettered but elegant penmanship.

"Dear Batgirl. If you thought this girl was out of the game then I'm sorry but your detective skills might need a little honing. I know you have a reason for digging me up when there are plenty of others who could have solved this equation, and while I'll enjoy taking the time to figure out what that reason is, I can safely say this: Be the best version of yourself while you're handling this. You can do this, I have no doubt, but learn from the mistakes of the people who came before you. Don't take it lightly and don't take unnecessary risks. I know, I know, everything I've heard about you tells me different, but I still wish I'd heard it a time or two when I was younger. It would have saved a lot of pain in the long run." The end of the note was signed with a simple block lettered "Watchtower".

Barbara smiled at the message. She appreciated the hell out of a legitimate legend of the game taking the time to hand write it, proving this wasn't some copy/paste trite kindness. The real kindness came in the amount of information she'd given Barbara about the potential doctors and medics who might be capable of doing the kinds of things that the bandaged intruder had done.

There were more than a dozen names on the list, ranging from Doctors to orderlies. Most had some kind of background in uniformed service, a few were legitimately military as well. She decided to avoid mentioning that part to her beau until she could further vet the entire list. If it turned out whoever was behind the bandages was a military medic, or specifically, two of the people listed were Navy Corpsman, stopping him from exacting retribution would be a nightmare she wasn't prepared to handle.

A new line of thought opened up to her as she poured over the information in front of her. He'd been a lot less angry and vindictive than she'd expected him to be after showing up to help her out. She felt no slight at this, as a white knight wasn't what she wanted or needed out of the man she intended to wed. Instead, it was more puzzling. Aasha had told her how he'd reacted when he thought someone had called her a 'side bitch', and that was a perceived slight.

She assumed it was just his clinical detachment beginning to show, and hoped that he wasn't bottling anything up. That would be worse than him actually going off the handle and she knew it. It would definitely be a point of conversation before she figured out who the man with the bandages was, and got proactive about handling him.

A few of the people she was looking at, she could eliminate a few. Despite the fact that Watchtower had listed a few women, the DNA test Alfred ran had indicated the person was male. They matched no databases though, which also meant she could eliminate military who enlisted any time after the past six years. It still left more than a couple of private citizens, though Doctors tended to enjoy owning firearms, so that criteria didn't clear many.

Still looking at four names, Barbara decided that list was considerably more manageable than fourteen. Running them down in real life and cyberspace would be no challenge, but it left one final piece of the puzzle to account for. Whoever this person was, they had a strong understanding of Bruce Wayne, his life, his history, and the way he went about things. Even the intrusion itself smacked of personal. The killings, they were a baiting tactic, pure and simple.

It served a second goal though. If he'd managed to get the drop on Bruce in the cave, it would have left the mob war raging in Gotham regardless. It wasn't enough he wanted to kill Batman, the man also wanted to destroy his legacy, and the faith of the city in his name. Yeah, that was personal alright.

Pulling her legs up under her, she pondered through that while looking at the dossier images for the people left to scrutinize. All four appeared to fit the bill, the facial structures seemed pretty close considering the bandages. All four had seen conflict in one manner or another, and two of them had been deeply involved.

One, a recently retired Air Force Captain and Pararescue Jumper (the thought that he might have been one of the PJ's who'd loaded Deke into the Chinook after Darkseid sent an odd chill down her spine.), the other an Australian SAS Medic, who had immigrated to the United States a few years ago after accepting their discharge from service.

Picking up her phone, she dialed Wayne Manor. It rang three times, which meant Alfred was busy. There was no place in that house too far from a telephone, and Alfred was not the type to let it ring for no reason. When he answered, his tone seemed perfectly pleasant thought.

"Alfred, are you busy?" She asked, getting up from the couch and heading into the kitchenette. "Oh, okay, no that's fine, I can call back later. Talk to you then. Bye Alfred!" she said on her end of the conversation. He was busy with a guest, so she'd call back after her last class.

Rooting around in the fridge, she found a bottle of water, and popped the cap off, taking a long drink. For a minute, she debated skipping class to start vetting her suspects. The urge to detective the hell out of the problem was strong within her, and a few minutes just watching these people walk could tell her just as much as a few hours behind a keyboard.

In the end, prudence and forethought won out, as it often did where Barbara Gordon was concerned. She was involved in a big deal, but unlike most of her peers, she lacked extranormal abilities, meaning one day, she'd need more than good looks and a plucky attitude to get by. That, and her dad would have kittens knowing she'd bailed on a class when life wasn't hanging in the balance. No matter what, she would never intentionally disappoint the man who'd been so instrumental (whether he meant to or not) in helping her become who she was at that moment.

So, she closed the lid on her laptop and tossed her backpack over her shoulder to head back to class. A two hour delay might be dangerous, but she was playing against good odds that it wouldn't be. 

* * *

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am." Alfred said apologetically. "I have a guest I'm currently entertaining. Shall I excuse myself?" he added after a moment. "Speak to you then, goodbye."

Pausing in the kitchen long enough to gather some mineral water, Alfred returned to the drawing room to continue with his guest. The gentleman, less than six months younger than Master Bruce, sat on the couch with a pleasant look on his otherwise damaged face.

"So sorry, I had a caller." Alfred said, offering his guest one of the bottles of Perrier. He took it with a friendly wave, and rested the bottle against the side of his nose.

"It's fine Alfie, I came to visit old friends. Everbody's phone rings sometimes." He said with polite dismissal. "So ol' Brucey still hasn't made it back into town?"

"I'm sorry, he hasn't I'm afraid." Alfred said ruefully. "It seems business keeps him away from home most of the time. I frequently feel more like a curator than a proper butler."

"I know how that feels. Doctors without Borders had me in some really interesting places. I'll have to tell you more about it the next time I swing by." The visitor said.

"You're leaving already, Doctor Elliot?" Alfred said, standing up to see his guest out. It had been years since the last time they'd spoken, and he'd only just arrived.

"Alfie, please. I was named after your old boss you know. Thomas is fine and it always will be." He said, clapping Alfred on the shoulder in a genial manner. "Just let Brucey know I was by, and I'll be looking for him, could you do that please?"

"I certainly shall Thomas." Alfred said, seeing him out the door. A flitter ran up his spine as he watched Thomas get into his car and drive off. The kind of instinct that had served him well in Her Majesty's Secret Service all those years ago, and still served him well to this day. He walked back into the drawing room to gather Thomas' bottle of Perrier, and noticed that he hadn't even opened the cap.

Regardless, Alfred reached into his pocket and thumbed the key fob there, activating full security mode in the house. When no alerts sounded, he knew he was alone and safe, so he gathered an evidence bag and placed the bottle of mineral water within it, sealing it carefully so it could be analyzed _downstairs_.

Following that, he placed a call to the Gotham Academy, sitting on hold several minutes before Master Damien answered. "Sir, I should warn you, I believe we had an unexpected visitor. Coming to collect you might prove dangerous if I am correct. If I'm wrong, I shall be there at three fifteen sharp. If I'm not there, please take the alternate route home."

Alfred waited on the terse and oh so predictable response, before taking himself into the cave to do what work he could. He was not just any butler, and it pleased him that he was so frequently able to remind others of the fact. With a frown, he picked his phone out of his pocket and dialed Barbara.

"Mistress Barbara, please be mindful. I have a dreadful feeling that an old family friend might be the one responsible for the activities last night. No, that's not who it is." He said when Barbara pitched a name at him. He listened a moment longer before his face sunk. "Yes, Doctor Thomas Elliot, that's him. He was driving a black SLR McLaren when he left here, do be careful."

He listened a moment longer and nodded. "Yes ma'am, I shall certainly have the armory unlocked when you arrive in a few hours."

Alfred set the phone down and put on a pair of sterile gloves before reaching for the bottle of water within the bag. The cocking of a hammer on a pistol told him such an activity wouldn't be necessary. "Thomas, there's a better way to go about things, I assure you." Alfred began, putting his hands in the air and turning around slowly.

"Not really, no." Thomas said, stepping from around the side of the uniform displays, his nice suit still dripping wet from his underwater approach. "I was trying to keep things hush hush, but you had to investigate."

"I did indeed. It's a miracle you were able to hold your breath long enough." Alfred said conversationally.

Thomas, no, not like this. He wasn't Thomas anymore. Hush just shrugged. "You pick up a thing or two here and there, but Brucey was nice enough to leave a rebreather hanging around. I borrowed it on my visit last night. I take it the redhead's okay."

"Likely far better than you." Alfred said calmly. He was too far away to reach without getting shot, and despite his injuries, Alfred knew he hadn't boxed with real intent in several years. "Your injuries must be terrible."

"Oh, you're very right Alfie. I meant it when I told her I was here for Bruce, but I kinda took that beating personally. I might have to leave her strung up in here for when he gets back, you know, give him something else to think about." Hush replied, grabbing a line thrower off the tech table, and aiming it at Alfred.

"I've watched Bruce use these a few times. Now Alfie, I like you, I really do, and it really is Bruce I'm after, so don't move." Hush said, and carefully lined up his shot. He triggered the line thrower off, catching the side of the chair and sending it spinning, causing Alfred to get wrapped up quickly.

Secured nice and tight, Alfred played the only card he had. "Whatever did Master Bruce do to you to earn such spite?"

"Long story Alfie, a very long story. It mostly consists of me not being the most dutiful son, and him being, well, himself. He ruined some very important plans of mine once, several years ago. I'm just returning the favor." Hush replied. "Long version, he saved my parent's lives. Now I know you see more than most people realize, but Alfie, they were awful people, they really were. I just couldn't let it go anymore. A brake job later and I think everything's going to look good from then on, but out of the shadows swoops the Batman, saving their lives. Set my plans back almost ten years, and they were good plans too Alfie. I didn't want it to come to this."

Alfred sat there, his ears open, listening to Thomas' story, but his eyes were open too. When the man he used to call a dear friend and welcomed guest, gestured with his pistol in conversation, his eyes drew to the muzzle. It was all the time needed for Alfred to trigger the panic button on the key fob in his pocket. He felt it was divine mercy that his arms were down when Thomas had used the line caster to bind him.


	32. Chapter 31

April 1st  
Gotham City  
1300 EST

Barbara had just stepped onto campus proper when her phone pinged. She immediately recognized the alert tone, and ice gripped her spine. Casting a quick glance at the screen of her phone, she saw the alert map showing the ping on the move, heading into North Gotham, not altogether that far away from her.

Frowning, she ducked away from the campus building and turned back to the apartment. Once clear of the main streets, she went into full overdrive, leaping onto a dumpster to scurry up a fire escape in lightning speed. On the roof, she began running, figuring if anyone saw her, they'd assume she was just another Parkour runner, which wasn't an entirely incorrect assessment.

As she ran, she dug her earwig out of her pocket and slipped it into her ear, and waited for it to pair with her phone. Another flying leap between buildings (and another unhappy reminder that she was wearing the wrong bra for this) and she tapped the button inside. "Call Mustang." She said to the voice command menu. This would ring her boy's phone as much as if she'd said Deke instead, but it routed the call in such a manner that a different ringtone would play, alerting him.

"What's up?" He asked her, worry in his voice. He'd had to slip away between patients to take her call at all, but he'd also trained himself to react to that tone like any member of the League was calling him to save the world.

"I think Alfred's in trouble. I'm grabbing gear, can you meet me?" She asked, wondering why in the world things were going down in the middle of the day. Gotham was a city of the night, it always had been. It's why she'd called herself the Princess of the Kingdom of the Night once, because it fit all too well.

"Yeah, I'll let La Jefa know and get out of here. Meet you on the roof of the apartment." He said, and killed the call.

"Call Daeva." Babs said after that call ended, vaulting over a low wall like a gymnastics horse. Even with her backpack adding extra weight, and her stomach still working on the pasta she'd had for lunch, she didn't feel in the slightest bit winded, a testament to the intense conditioning she'd put her body through.

It rang five times and went to Aasha's voicemail, a wonderfully sweet message. Babs tapped the comm again to kill the call, and just focused on running and leaping. Near the end of her trip, she got to the longest jump of the entire route; a four lane road. Prepared for it, she adjusted her path accordingly, and let herself fall from the side of the building to land with an almost casual grace on the long flagpole, which she used to bridge the road. This gave her much less space to contend with, and used that to her advantage, leaping off again and catching herself by her fingertips on the side of her apartment building.

Above her as she made the fast scramble up the wall, air was being disrupted quite audibly. Still not breaking the sound barrier as that would be a much more obvious sign of his presence, Deke brought himself quickly down to the roof, arresting his momentum as close to the top of the building as possible. He waited only a short couple of seconds before seeing his girl bring herself easily up over the wall of the roof, rolling over it and gracefully onto her feet.

"Ready to rock?" he asked.

"Yeah," She replied, only barely out of breath. "How'd you get away from work so fast?"

"Doc Thompkins gets the alerts too, in the event she has to patch one of y'all up. She was waving me out of the clinic when I was talking to you." Deke said, keying in the access for the secret room built within the roof access hut.

Once within, they dressed quickly. Barbara let him use his powers to help her for the sake of expediency, though when she grabbed the armoring that clipped onto her second skin, she wasn't particularly excited. Unlike the set she'd worn last night, this one didn't possess the Non-Newtonian gel layer, so if she got shot, it wouldn't be uncomfortable, it would just be less dangerous than having a bullet penetrating her skin, but only barely.

"I hate my boobs sometimes." She lamented as she armored up. It was her breasts that got in the way where defensive covering was concerned. Unlike Batman and all the Robins, who were able to wear a much thicker trauma plate over their chests, she didn't have that luxury. It was Alfred, in fact, who'd gone to Lucius Fox to see about something that would be comfortable for her to wear and still be safe, which is how that gel layer got developed in the first place.

"I've got you covered. It'd probably be better if I was your ace in the hole anyway." Deke said, following her thoughts as he tossed his long rider coat on.

"Yeah, and Ash too if she'd ever call back. I'm kind of worried about her too now." Barbara said, banishing the negativity from her thoughts. She would not let the bandaged man get into her head like that.

As if on cue, Barbara's earwig began chirping almost pleasantly in her ear. She tapped it as she drew her cowl on, and spoke up in greeting. "Ash, you busy?"

"I'm not. I'm waiting on a painting to come in so I can establish provenance, it's very exciting. You sound like you have your game face on." She asked, slipping out of the gallery proper and into the ladies' room.

"I do, can you provide some backup? There's a situation unfolding and I could use all the help I can get." Barbara said, finally fully dressed. She and her boy slipped out of their hidden 'dressing room', where she let him wrap her up in a telekinetic grip before he launched off into the sky.

"I can try." Aasha said. "Send me a location."

Barbara agreed and killed the call, using her phone to send a live feed from Alfred's tracker to both Aasha's phone and Deke's smartwatch. Instantly, the navigation app picked up on it and began helping him orient towards the signal. In addition, Deke picked up the intense concern radiating from his beloved. She masked it well, setting the fear off to the side to be handled once the danger was past, but it was there. He couldn't blame her, and was in fact amazed at how quickly she could compartmentalize her emotions.

As they flew through the air, the skies in the city began darkening. Barbara cast a glance up and into the sky above, and saw thick, dark storm clouds rolling in from the bay. She couldn't see the clouds releasing their payload of heavy rain, only the sun blotting clouds themselves, and knew she was getting some assistance.

[There's our girl.] She thought to her boy, pushing the thought out to him. Not a psychic, but perhaps a hair more sensitive than most, she loved that he'd taught her how to reach for his mind and think in such a way that he'd hear her and know to respond. It made social gatherings they felt obligated to attend considerably more interesting.

[Hell, if that's all she's able to do, that might be enough.] Deke replied, following the signal on his smartwatch screen.

[Remind me I owe her for this.] Barbara thought as she steeled her nerves and completely bottled away what was unnecessary. She'd had plenty of slipups in the past, and the Reach invasion had taught her that she might not have been the pure badass she thought she might be, but that was a few years ago, and now, she had a better handle on herself. She knew what to eschew and what to bring forward.

She was in no way going to ignore getting the lift though. He'd grasped her body, not her costume, and adjusted how he held her aloft based on how she moved, so she'd planed out and put her arms forward, simulating the way she'd seen the fliers do it. It wasn't the same, she was sure, but it was exciting. Also, it was misdirection, and it gave her an idea.

[Cowboy, when we get closer, keep your altitude and keep us linked. You've got a good mile of range telepathically, right?] She asked, watching them draw closer to the still moving blip.

[Yeah, give or take. You want me to steer you in the air so he thinks you've got powers, don't you?] Deke said, unable to not read her mind in the moment. He'd seen the flash of brilliance light up her thoughts.

[That and keep the shield up, this armor's not as good as the stuff he wrecked last night.] She added. On top of the signal, she leaned her body forwards to go down, so he steered her that way, using her motion for cues, while he simultaneously gained more altitude for himself. His telekinetics only required being able to perceive the subject, and he was keeping a light grasp on her.

From up here, he'd be hell to spot, especially in the glare of the sun through the dark clouds, the light refraction making it difficult to look up for too long. As she'd asked, he kept the link open, but he also used the magnification in his glasses to keep an eye on things. He'd have to talk to Fractal about programming a lip reader into them, that'd be useful as hell at a time like this. 

* * *

Hush floored it in his car, an SLR McLaren with plenty of horses under the hood. "I was beginning to wonder if anyone was going to answer your nine one one there Alfie." He said, glancing into the rearview to see the Batgirl soaring in behind him. "Didn't know Bruce hired powered kids though. I thought he just made the gear to duplicate it."

"We're full of surprises." Alfred replied with a frown. The statement caught him off guard, but if he'd learned anything in his time with MI6, it was play along and wait for an opening. He risked a glance into the side rearview, and was surprised when Hush manipulated it for him, giving him a much better view.

"I told you Alfie, I like you. I really hate having to use you as bait." Hush replied, still weaving through traffic. She'd catch him eventually, as she was able to make a straight line towards him where he lacked that luxury on the road. Something needed done.

Above them, Barbara felt herself getting shoved harder towards the car. It was certainly a unique feeling, no longer exciting though and closer to feeling like she was being used as a weapon to hit the car. Her trust in her boy was absolute, but she couldn't shake her sense of danger.

[He's opening the door!] she thought across the link when she saw the driver's side gullwing door open up on the expensive sports car. [No no no. Get me to the car, you need to lift both me and it, Alfred's in there!]

Above her, Deke watched the intruder ditch the car, rolling into the street and away from the vehicle in a smooth dodge. Pouring his will into his actions, he pushed Babs into the car and allowed his telekinetic grip to envelop it as well. When she sent a 'Got it!' over the link, he lifted both, hauling up and hard out of the way before the car hit anyone or anything.

Keeping tied deep into her thoughts, he knew when she wanted to move and turn, and steered her accordingly, moving her and the car off the street and into a small park. Mercifully, the intruder hadn't jammed the gas pedal, so the car's time in the air was enough to bleed the momentum from it.

Once down and safe, Barbara turned to where the man had ducked out, and saw the muzzle of one of his revolvers a half a block away. She went to throw her arms up, being caught completely off guard, but nothing moved. She just stood there. When the revolver flashed and the round impacted the inertial shielding, she realized why.

"Something's not adding up." Hush muttered to himself as he triggered more shots into the Batgirl while she dashed towards him. A few batarangs whizzed through the air, forcing him to duck, dodge, and shoot, which bought her the time to get to him.

He'd been able to stick her with the succinylcholine the night before, and even if he'd used a tungsten carbide hypodermic, if she was ignoring bullets, then even that armor piercing needle wouldn't have penetrated her skin. Plus, when he'd shot her, the impact had definitely knocked her down. Something was up, and she'd gotten him with it.

"Nice tricks." He said when she got up to him, though when she went into a hard baseball slide, his mouth stopped operating. Her boots connected solidly with his ankles, knocking him forward. He landed on top of her, and considered that her last mistake as he went into a jujitsu top mount, intending on pummeling her into the concrete.

That is, until he realized she'd put him exactly where she wanted him. He hadn't experienced even a tenth of her incredible flexibility the night before, so when she brought her legs up and hooked them under his arms, he felt himself get dropped to the ground, where she capitalized by using her impressive leg strength to flip him onto his stomach so she could wrap his leg up in a vicious ankle lock.

With the damage she'd already delivered to that portion of his body, the positive pressure the wrong direction didn't just hurt, it was excruciating. Plus, face down, he couldn't quite bring his pistols to bear. He might graze her, but it would just be a waste of ammo.

With a cold fury, Barbara twisted harder on his ankle, turning her body into it, and didn't stop until she heard the snap. Like fresh, crisp celery, the popping and twisting was audible, but so were the man's screams.

"Oh hush, it's just a broken ankle." She said, letting the lock go and going to a top mount, where she grabbed his neck and locked the chokehold in. This time, in so much pain, Hush didn't have the ability to react quickly enough, and his lights turned out in no time.

Not stopping, she cuffed his arms behind his back and kicked his revolvers away. Not far in the distance, she could see the lights of Gotham PD cars. The man had no fight left in him, none. Problem solved, without Bruce, and without Dick. Yeah, she had some help from her roommates, some of which was potentially lifesaving, but it was different. Neither Deke nor Aasha would judge her, tell her what she'd done wrong, or how she could have done it better. (Not that _that_ particular advice was ever bad, but it always came with negativity)

She watched as he was searched, and loaded into the back of the secure ambulance. Mustang and Daeva set down next to her after a short moment, and as much as she wanted to take both of their hands, she didn't. Instead, she glanced at her boy, who only gave a solemn nod, his answer to her unasked question as to whether he'd locked Bruce's secret inside Elliot's mind.

"Batgirl, you did one hell of a job." Those words snapped her from her thoughts.

"Thank you Detective Montoya." Barbara replied, shaking the woman's hand. "I'm always happy to help."

"Seems like lately it's been a lot more you and a lot less of _him_. Should we be worried?" Montoya asked, knowing the situation with the crime families just as well as Barbara did.

"No, not at all. We're here, and he'll be finished with his work for the League soon enough. Eager to get rid of me?" She asked the woman who could have been her if life had been even slightly different.

"Oh no, we're grateful." Montoya said defensively. "You know Gotham though, we've gotten used to shining the light and getting the shadows."

"Keep shining the light, there's always going to be an answer." Barbara replied, and unclipped her line caster from her belt, launching herself up into the now clear sky. Without having to look, she knew Deke and Aasha were pacing her, and so she led them through a bit of a chase. It wasn't for pure fun, though if she didn't have heavy thoughts on her mind, it would have been.

Finally landing atop a roof a couple of miles away, she waited until her roomates touched down, and she didn't have to wait long. "So, we need to talk about what just happened." She said with her face contorted into a mask of deep thoughts.

"Okay, yeah, it's clear there's something buggin' you." Deke said as he watched her walk over to Aasha.

"Yeah, there is, but not here. Daeva, you trust me, right?" Barbara asked, her hand moving deftly at her belt.

"Of course I trust you." Aasha said, wondering what Babs was doing with her belt. Her puzzlement grew even greater when her girlfriend took on a sad look and held a closed hand right in front of her face before opening her fingers slightly. "What are youuuooooooohhh, wha, what's thaaaa ooohhhh.' Aasha asked, her eyes rolling and her legs getting weak as the acrid chemical in Barbara's hand put her to sleep. Barbara caught her, and signaled to her boy to take hold of her.

A bit surprised, Deke picked the small woman up and watched as Barbara tossed the cracked pellet far away and into a corner of the roof where it would dissipate safely. "Why'd you do that?" he asked. He wasn't mad, just confused.

"We need to go to the cave, there are some things that don't add up. I owe her _so_ much now." Barbara said, using a neutralizing chemical on her glove to prevent knocking herself out. Not only was that dangerous, but also extremely embarrassing.

"Why didn't you black bag her?" Deke asked. He understood why she'd done it now, but Barbara had mentioned that as an option before.

"No black bag. As you can imagine, that's not standard equipment. Now c'mon, we need to beat Alfred home." Barbara said, remote triggering the boat and firing off another line.


	33. Chapter 32

April 1st  
Gotham City  
1405 EST

"… saying, it's possible she might be madder than you might think about this." Aasha heard Deke say. She shook the fog out of her head and rubbed her eyes, trying to get the very potent smell of whatever chemical that was, out of her nose.

The truth was that she wasn't mad. There was about a half of a second there where she was, but that had very quickly been replaced by some feelings she was going to have to sit and think about on her own time, because it had been a massive turn on until she'd passed out.

"No, I'm good, as long as there's good reason." Aasha mumbled groggily. When her vision finally cleared, she could tell she was somewhere she never expected to be. The Batcave was legendary, and Deke had mentioned that he'd been here a couple of times, but he'd been none-too-forthcoming on the details, for obvious reasons. "I suppose there is."

"Ash honey, I'm sorry for that." Barbara said, offering her some water. "You and me tonight, we'll get this fully worked out, okay? Just, right now, I need people to bounce ideas off of."

"I'm fine, I promise." Aasha argued, sipping her water and fully taking in the cave (well, cavern was closer to correct, but cave certainly sounded cooler.) "What's wrong?"

Barbara walked over to the meeting table and leaned against it, looking at her two companions. "Nothing about that sat right. I had Deke use his powers to make it look like I was the one doing all the super powered stuff, because I figured it'd throw him off a little bit, take his attention away from threatening civilians."

"It did I thought." Deke said, helping Aasha off the table and into a seat. She was still a bit wobbly from the drugs.

"Yeah, but he just made one crack and went on with it, like it didn't matter. And then, how quick I dropped him." Barbara said. "It wasn't just easy, it's like he _wanted_ me to take him down."

"According to Deke, you put a massive thrashing on him last night; I imagine he wasn't fit to fight you, especially after that dive out of the car." Aasha argued. "He bounced, we were laughing about it up there."

"Yeah, which would make sense if he acted even remotely hurt. He didn't. He might as well have just stood there, waiting on me to come and get him. Something is completely off here. He wants to get sent to prison. After everything, he really wants to go to jail." Barbara said with a scowl.

"So, he goes to jail, he's got assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, wanton endangerment, a whole list of charges, he's going to be there a while. Surely Batman's got someone, or someones, on the inside to keep an eye on things." Deke said. Her distrust in the situation was clear, and he felt it was perfectly justified.

"Yeah, he does, and they'll be doing exactly that. I texted my dad while Aasha was still asleep, and he's already declined a lawyer and sang like a canary from his hospital bed. Confessed everything. He even declined pain medication for his ankle to make sure the confession stuck." Barbara was furious, it was obvious. She'd been played, and she knew it, and worse than that, she'd been played and someone she cared about had been threatened.

"You wanna sneak in and have words with him in the hospital?" Deke asked.

"No, not right now. I want to have words with you Cowboy. When you locked Batman's identity in his mind, what else did you see?" Barbara asked, finally peeling her cowl off and letting it hang like a hood behind her head.

Deke made a puzzled face. "I beelined straight to Batman's real identity and locked it, and everything I could think of along with it. How to get into this place, the other residents of the house, how you fought, all I could get to. Honestly babe, I wouldn't have known if anything was off to begin with, I'd never met him before."

Barbara scowled. She clenched her fists, her arms shaking in quiet fury, and tossed her head back. "Fuck!" she all but screamed in catharsis, the volume she used and her choice of words bringing both concern and surprise to her companions, who could only look at each other with a shocked expression.

It was Aasha who moved to calm her, coming out of her chair and taking her hands. "Babs, love, I understand you're angry, but please, watch your bloody language."

The sudden change in tone in Aasha's voice struck Barbara, who could only blink for a minute while trying to process it. If that wasn't bad enough, her boy's words were just as absurd. "Yeah, you kiss me with that mouth." He said, sitting beside her.

"I'm sorry. This case would never have _him_ pacing and cussing like this." Barbara retorted, now just as mad at herself as at the case. It started out tricky but clear, and had ended simply, but convoluted and confusing.

"I have a feeling you might be wrong about that." Aasha said, her voice suddenly very meek and small.

Barbara turned around and locked eyes with Batman. He stood there, cold and impassive, so just like every other day. "Listen to your friend." He said, moving through the place with a casual ease. "Not every case works out the way you want it to."

"Is the League back?" Deke asked, wondering if he could stop being on call to Metropolis. He didn't mind the city, and its problems were much less common, though they were certainly bigger.

"Not all of us. I felt that the exercise had run its course. You did well Barbara, with everything, but there's about to be a gang war, and we're going to need all hands when it breaks out. You two," Batman said, looking directly at Aasha and Deke. "You have someone to pick up tomorrow I believe."

"Yessir." Deke said, placing a hand on Aasha's shoulder. The fear radiating from her was palpable, so he wanted to give her some comforting contact. It didn't help much when Batman addressed Aasha directly.

"You've seen the cave. That's more than half of the Justice League can claim. I trust I don't have to worry about anything where this is concerned?" He asked, his voice still that calm, measured neutral.

Feeling ready to wet herself, Aasha could only nod. "Not at all."

"Good. Mustang, take her home. I'd like to talk to Batgirl personally." Batman said, and the look he gave her wasn't as withering as she'd expected it to be.

"Alright then, let's do this." Aasha said, all but hopping into Deke's arms in preparation for being knocked out again. When Batman handed Deke a black hood, she felt the heat of embarrassment rise to her cheeks. "Okay, so I suppose we're doing this then." She added, putting the black material over her head and taking pains to make sure she couldn't see anything. She was not the inquisitive girl that Babs was, not at all.

* * *

It was a couple of hours later when Barbara walked into the apartment. Immediately, both Deke and Aasha's eyes were on her, trying in their own way to gauge her emotional state.

"What?" She asked, setting a large container on the kitchenette counter. She watched both Deke and Aasha get to their feet, and cut them off from hug tackling her. "Easy you two, that wasn't an ass reaming I got, and Deacon, you can wipe that look off your face."

"Sorry." Deke said with red cheeks. "So, what was it then?"

"Not what I expected actually. We talked, like, really talked for once. He said he's the one that recommended me for League membership, but he already knew I'd turn it down, and that that's what Gotham needed. He thanked me for it, and he spent some time explaining things to me, about cases like this." She said, removing her windbreaker and hanging it on a hook before bringing the food container in and setting it on the table.

"So, is that what I think it is?" Deke asked, eyeballing the present on the table.

"Yes it is, but Aasha gets first dibs. He said he needed a proper English evaluation." Barbara said, popping the lid. Immediately, the smell of Beef Wellington began filling the apartment.

"I'd be happy to." Aasha said. She'd yet to eat anything besides breakfast, and her stomach was grumbling. "I can say with all honesty that the smell is intoxicating."

"So, that's it then? The case is closed?" Deke asked, wrapping an arm around his love and enjoying the nuzzling that came with it.

"No, it's not closed, it's been moved down in priority. Best thing to do now is wait and keep vigilant. Something is going to show itself before long." Barbara said, stepping in line to get an early dinner after Aasha had grabbed a plate and sat down with it.

"Whatever you need, you know we're here for you." Deke said, taking his plate last and setting the container on the small bar area so they'd all have room to eat.

"Can I be perfectly honest here?" Barbara said, popping a haricot vert into her mouth, enjoying the crisp snap to it. When her roommates both nodded in agreement, their mouths both full of food already, she continued. "I need to work off steam. I'm going to eat, then play some video games while my food settles. After that, I'm going to the gym, and finally, tonight, I would like to respectfully ask for both nudity and cooperation from the both of you."

Well, that got their attention. "I have an idea about that, if you're interested." Aasha said, piping up with an adorably mischievous look on her face. When Barbara arched a delicate eyebrow, she elaborated. "I might have gotten my hands on some body paint. If you need to shake the heavens, I'll certainly not argue, but if you're looking to actually calm yourself, this might be an excellent opportunity to try it out."

"What do you think Cowboy? Hateful angry sex or body painting?" Barbara said, looking at her boy. He had a beautifully derpy look on his face, and remembered he still had a mouthful of food, so he quickly chewed and swallowed.

"Well," he said thoughtfully. "If I'm being objective here, hateful angry sex is fun, but we'd have to use my room in the hacienda, or go to the house in Kentucky, because there is a one hundred percent chance of being complained on by the neighbors. I mean, do you wanna be face first in Aasha while I'm giving you hell, and all of a sudden there's a knocking on both walls, the floor, and ceiling. Mrs. Newberg alone would probably call the cops on us."

"I can keep it quiet you know." Barbara replied tartly.

"But do you _want_ to?" Aasha retorted, seeing where Deke was going with it. "I've seen you keeping it quiet and I've seen you most decidedly not, and sexual restraint doesn't suit you well."

Barbara pondered that one for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, you're right. So, are we going to your house tonight or not?" She said wickedly.

"Well, that answers that. The body paint idea sounds cool though, I wanna try that eventually." Deke said, cutting himself another bite from his dinner.

"Oh, I got them for a reason, don't worry. Even if it's not sex related, I'd like to paint both of you up some time. Maybe take a few pictures while I'm at it." Aasha said, her words far off and dreamy as she pictured it.

"Yeah, when I'm in a better mood, that sounds like a blast. I'm just not in a good place to be much fun." Barbara said apologetically. She hated losing, and while she'd put Thomas Elliot away, it did _not_ feel like a victory.

Deke reached over and took Barbara's hand, giving it a squeeze. She turned to smile at him, and wound up giggling. He had two green beans stuck into his upper lip, making him look like a walrus. Within seconds, her giggles turned to outright laughter. "Damnit Deke I'm trying to brood here!" she said, poking him in the ribs.

Using a mix of his powers and his tongue, he caught both of the beans in his mouth proper, though he struggled to keep his mouth closed while he chewed, the grin trying to split his face being much more powerful than he'd imagined. "Babe," Deke said, giving her hand another squeeze. "We're here, right now, if you want."

"Someone's feeling itchy apparently." Barbara retorted, poking him again. "Can you let a girl eat?"

"Not what I meant, well, not entirely what I meant. Talk to us. You keep poking me with it, my turn now." Deke said, to which Aasha nodded emphatically.

"Okay, I'm pissed because I got played." Barbara said, setting her fork down. "I got played, and while I was getting played, who knows what else might have gone down that I missed. If nothing else, I have to take a makeup exam tomorrow now. So, either somebody got hurt and I missed it, or my education got hurt, and I have almost nothing to show for it."

She took another bite of her food and chewed it thoughtfully. "There's not much I don't like. I don't like being teased. I don't like being objectified. I don't like being marginalized, and I don't like being played. I don't get teased, objectified, or marginalized often, so it kind of leaves getting played being the thing I hate that I face the most.

"We could start objectifying you if you'd like." Aasha offered. "I have a few drawings of you that are absolute doozies after all."

"No, I'm good. Wait, what? You've drawn dirty pictures of me?" Barbara said, suddenly focusing on her girlfriend.

"I have dirty pictures of a few people, you two I have the most of, because I've seen you naked enough to have an easy time with it. You're like one of my French girls. In fact, Deacon, if you could summon my bag?" Aasha said, locking her dark brown eyes on Barbara's oceanic blues. She had intent in her words of course. She'd seen Barbara worry a problem until it had quite literally burned her out, and that just would not do. It was unhealthy, and if she could prevent that, she absolutely would.

When her art bag sailed across the room, she took it from the air and opened it up; riffling through one of her sketchbooks, until she hit upon what she was looking for. Setting the page in front of Barbara, she let her girlfriend see what she'd meant.

More than one of her quick sketches, most of which turned into nothing more than that, this piece was fully formed and realized. It was Barbara, laying on a sofa in the exact same positioning as the actress in the movie. There were some details changed of course, such as the necklace being replaced by a flash drive, and the obvious physical differences. There she was though, laying comfortably, with the most bewitching look on her face, one that spoke of the hidden thoughts behind that expression.

"Aasha, I can't in good conscious call this a dirty picture. This is beautiful." Barbara said, admiring the work. "This is how you see me?"

"It is. Turn the page." Aasha said, feeling a bit shy. She never would have shown these off, but they were necessary now, a balm on her lover's heart.

When Barbara flipped the page, she was quite plainly looking at a picture of her boy. Done in a completely different art style, he seemed to come to life like a barbarian from a late 70's fantasy adventure novel. The eyes though, despite the fierce posture and pose, his eyes still showed kindness. She showed it to her boy, who just blinked twice and nodded slowly.

"I think you're giving me more credit than I deserve there Ash." He said, color rising bright and hot to his cheeks. Like Barbara, this was a nude piece.

"Perspective love. Anyway, there you are. I've drawn dirty pictures of you. There's a good one of Maddie on the next page if you're interested. I think I really captured the suffering she tries to smother with physical intimacy." Aasha explained. "Also, there's Liho in the picture, I should warn."

"And I'm good." Barbara said, handing the book back. "How come you didn't want to show us?" she asked, changing back to the previous subject.

"Probably the same reason it was like pulling teeth for you to tell us exactly why you were angry. Art is expression after all. I draw, you detective. It's all the same, it speaks to who we are. I put pen and paint to paper because it captures an instance, a beat of a hummingbird's heart, and I lock it into place. You capture intent when you solve crime, the reasons and the motives. Sometimes, they're simple stick figures. The bad guy wants more stuff. Other times, like this, there's something more, and then you go from sketch, to pencil, and finally paint on a canvas. There's a masterpiece waiting to happen, but inspiration doesn't always flash at once." Aasha explained, temporarily forgetting her unease at baring more of her soul.

When compared to getting naked and getting touched, showing this much of herself was difficult. She oftentimes lacked the words to really explain her feelings, so she just didn't, preferring to just be bashfully adorable Aasha who nobody ever thinks to question about the deeper meanings of things. It was an armor she'd picked up quickly from Maddie, though she replaced the promiscuous attitude with something much more publicly appropriate.

"Damn Ash." Deke muttered. He saw her mind working in the moment, and it was so completely different than her usual. As a visual artist, she thought in pictures, and those pictures became individual frames, but this time, she'd just found her end goal and went for it. Her thoughts became less static and predictable, and became much more fluid.

"Yeah, wow." Barbara said. "That's, well, that's probably exactly what I needed to hear. If Batman had said the same thing to me, I wouldn't have been as moody."

"So, that helped?" Aasha asked sweetly, her eyes going dangerously into doe territory.

"Yeah, that helped a lot. Thank you." Barbara said, smiling at her girlfriend.

"You're welcome. Now you should finish your meal. We're apparently taking a trip that I've suddenly begun looking quite forward to."


	34. Chapter 33

April 2nd  
Pensacola, Florida  
1405 CST

"What is it with this city? Worse, what is it with this very specific part of this city?" Godiva asked, glancing around at the Federal Prison Camp known colloquially as 'Club Fed' by both inmates and corrections officers alike. "We bust up some Manta troopers day one basically, and now here we are again, not even ten miles from where that happened."

Fractal shrugged as the team walked up to the gates of the prison. "Happenstance? I haven't the faintest idea. Pacifica, Shield Maiden, are you two ready?" he asked, turning to look at their new blood. Due to Scramble's specific requests as his identity went, he'd been excused from this trip.

Honestly, only two of the Movers needed to be here for this. Everyone else was just for show. Partially to make it unquestionably clear who they were, and also to let Fujin get a chance to meet everyone right away.

"I am," Pacifica said, and glanced at the sour faced woman next to her. "But perhaps Shield Maiden isn't?"

"I feel naked without a weapon." Shield Maiden said with a grumble to her voice. She didn't have to actually hold her shield to have access to her powers, but she'd trained so long in using it and a variety of melee weapons that it was almost alien to her not to carry when in costume.

"Prison, what you expect?" Koa said thoughtfully. "It's okay though sistah, we _all_ weapons here. Besides, these the rich people criminals, they don't come here if they killers and stuff."

"Bro, please don't call me a weapon." Mustang said, shaking that thought out of his head. He'd had plenty of nightmares about being exactly that, and none of those nightmares ended well for any member of the Movers. "Call me a tool, call me a redneck, call me an asshole, just don't call me a weapon."

"Sorry brah." Koa said with an embarrassed look on his face. He plainly noticed Daeva slip her arm around Mustang's, giving him a comforting squeeze. Pacifica noticed it and went to say something, but Koa put his hand on her arm and shook his head with a soft expression on his face.

"I can hear you thinking." Mustang said, as the team approached the front door of the prison. Not what any of them had expected, the place had no gates, fences, guard towers, or razor wire. Of course, not altogether that far from here was Belle Reve, which had all those things and more.

The group of powered heroes waltzed into the front lobby of the prison camp, with Fractal and Mustang heading up to the desk itself. "We're here on behalf of the Justice League, to collect Inmate William Tanaka." Fractal said to the desk officer. She took a moment to process the idea that a pack of heroes had just walked in, before grabbing her radio.

"CO Adams, this is Jefferson at the front desk. The people the League sent to pick up Tanaka are here." She said, and sat there, looking at the assembled heroes, with an eye that seemed exuberantly curious. When her radio call received an affirmative, she set it aside and addressed Fractal.

"So, who are you guys exactly? I don't think I've ever seen any of you in the news or anything. You a bunch of sidekicks?" She asked, hoping that wasn't someone's trigger switch to cause them to wreck the place or something. Before requesting transfer here, she'd worked Belle Reve, and knew exactly how terrible some of these people could be.

"Naw, more second string than sidekicks. I'm Mustang, this is Fractal. Biggun back there is Koa. Those lovely ladies are Daeva, Godiva, Pacifica, and Shield Maiden, left to right, back there with him." Mustang said in introduction.

"You girls need to watch out for Tanaka, he's a silver-tongued scoundrel if I ever saw one, and I think you know what kind of prison this is." Officer Jefferson said, her Louisiana accent showing through. "What are y'all doin' with him anyway?"

"That, I'm afraid I can't discuss Officer Jefferson." Fractal said in an apologetic tone. "May I ask how long his exit process will take?"

She thought about that for a minute before answering. "Probably not long, I was the one that answered when Green Arrow called to say Tanaka was being picked up today. If y'all want to take a seat it shouldn't be more than fifteen minutes."

So, that's exactly what they did, and the utter absurdity of it all was not lost on Officer Jefferson. As it was the weekend, several inmates had visitors, and a few came in to see to that, and of course they noticed the pack of costumed people sitting in the waiting area, acting perfectly normal except for the names they referred to one another as. As a Correctional Officer, Mindy Jefferson was trained to keep an eye on how people behaved, and as such, she couldn't help but notice the interpersonal dynamic between the group.

The little guy called Fractal seemed to be in charge, and it had to be a matter of respect because he wasn't big enough to be threatening. The blonde with the big breasts seemed to go out of her way to sit away from the big guy and the skinny blonde, so there was probably something there. The cowboy and the little Indian girl (and that was funny in a way she wouldn't say out loud so as not to seem culturally insensitive) seemed to be pretty tight. The redhead was the one that looked out of place, but all of them seemed interested in including her in the kinds of things they were talking about.

Her observations let the time pass easier, especially once she made a game of it. She had no idea what any of their powers were, so first was a guessing game. The easiest was the Indian girl. Her outfit, black with gold thread embroidery and deep purple trim made her look like some kind of witch. Then came the slender blonde, who had gills when she really took the time to look. Atlanteans were becoming a bit more common on the surface, but the nearest embassy that she knew of was in Miami, so this was the first she'd ever seen of one. The way she was curled up on the big guy made her think he might be one too, even though he didn't have gills.

The other blonde, the one puberty had been very kind to, she might be an Amazon, she'd heard about them on the news too. The redhead was decked out like a Viking from the tv show her husband loved, but that gave her no clues. The Cowboy didn't have holsters, let alone guns, so he was just as difficult to suss out, and the little fellow, well, he might be like Superman for all she knew.

The door into the prison buzzed, snapping Officer Jefferson from her musings. She turned to see Inmate Tanaka, dressed in the same black suit he'd worn when he walked into the place five years ago, not even a legal adult yet. Tall and slender with short but unruly hair, just enough scruff on his chin to look rakish, and that same twinkle in his dark eyes. The boy was a pure scoundrel and she'd warned them.

"Hey hey, my ride's here." He said, taking a look at the crew waiting in the reception area. "Wow, I'm luckier than I thought. You see this, CO Quinn?"

"I see it Tanaka, now get out of here before I think you got institutionalized." The CO who'd brought him up said.

"So, lemme guess, we've got things to talk about?" He asked, slipping a bracelet onto his wrist and approaching the Movers. "Because I really hope we do." He added, giving Godiva a nod and a rakish smirk.

"Oh, we do, but not here." Fractal said. "Come along to the parking lot."

"You all showed up in a van, didn't you? Tell me you all piled into a plain, unmarked van because that would be the greatest thing ever." Fujin said with devilish glee. Not that his time in prison was exactly _hard_ or anything, but a gilded cage is still a cage.

The cowboy shook his head with a snicker as they waltzed their way out into the front parking lot. For a minute, they just stood there, making Fujin wonder if they'd taken some kind of plane or something instead. Then, he figured out exactly how they'd all gotten there.

"Amn ramu theira, miel valthas destina desta!" The tall skinny blonde changed as she lifted her arms into the air. Tattoos of light erupted across her body in strange shapes, and her long hair began floating around like she was underwater. A tiny mote of light formed in front of her, before slamming wide open like an iris. Within the circle of light, Fujin could see what appeared to be a fairly modern looking living room. It seemed a bit underwhelming until he considered that he was probably about to take a step from one place and be somewhere much farther away.

"The rift is stable, we may enter now." Pacifica said with a small, proud smile. She'd been working exceptionally hard on spatial rifting, and was pleased that she'd performed such magic without assistance from either of the other magically powered women with her.

One by one, the people that the League's legal representative had called the Movers, stepped into the hole in space, making Fujin feel a lot more confident about the whole thing. There was a moment where he considered trying to fake nerves and ask to go last, just so he could go his own way, but he'd cut a deal, and while the League's lawyer never said Batman would come hunting him, Fujin was pretty certain Batman would come hunting him.

"It's safe." The cute Indian girl said. If the blonde didn't pan out, there was always her. Fujin gave her a wink and stepped through, noticing that he was being ushered through exactly in the middle of the order. Trust was definitely going to take time to build here.

Once they were all through the rift, the tall blonde waved an arm dismissively, causing the hole to shut in that same iris-like manner. "So," Fujin said once that was finished. "Here's me then?"

"Yes. Now, onto the most important of things." The small guy said, gesturing towards the sofas and chairs laid about next to them. "Introductions if you please."

Fujin nodded, taking a seat once everyone else had done so. He didn't want to be _that_ guy after all. "So, yeah, William Tanaka. Green Arrow's team in Star City nicknamed me Fujin, which really, I don't hate at all so I'm keeping it. Prison docs say I've got an expressed meta-gene, but I gotta be honest here, it isn't much. Good nightvision and this other trick."

To demonstrate, he dipped his finger into a shadow cast by a wall lamp, and pulled that darkness away from the wall, before working it in his hands like clay. "I can use shadow, but of course, it's susceptible to light. That being said, I _allegedly_ broke into several extremely high security locations, and _allegedly_ stole objects from them. In addition, I was found, completely by happenstance, in a shipping container which held a pretty good range of security equipment that seemed to be really easy to operate. Now that's just a guess, mind you, but I could tell you what kinds of things there were, since I happened to have been reading the names of these things so I could report them to the police, when I discovered I was accidentally trespassing."

"Right." Fractal said, his tone indicating he didn't buy a single line of it. What Fujin had to say though was important. While he understood technology on a very deep and intuitive level, if he didn't know he needed something to perform a specific function, he'd still be just as stuck. Having someone who understood high tech security and exactly how to defeat it was exactly what the team needed, especially with their mission profile expanding recently. "Can you defend yourself? This job is not without danger."

"I decided long ago to buck the stereotype, so I'm an Asian guy who doesn't know martial arts." Fujin said a bit sheepishly. "I can run like the wind though, which is actually how I got my name."

"Koa, Shield Maiden, would either of you be willing to bring Fujin up to par? I can't in good conscious send him into the field without some kind of means of self-defense." Fractal said, and while he seemed impatient, nothing was further from the truth. If something happened, something preventable, he didn't want that kind of karma on his head.

"Care to let me do the honors big guy?" Shield Maiden asked, nudging Koa. "I feel like I need to contribute more."

"Go for it sistah, I ain't got pride in the way of me where that's concerned." Koa said from his chair in the corner. He cast a glance towards the kitchen and got a thoughtful look. "Hey, who got lunch today?"

"I do." Daeva said, a hopeful expression crossing her features. "I will happily owe you if you take it from me though."

"We do family meals?" Fujin asked, a bit surprised at the way they behaved. It was so easy for them to just operate like that.

"We do. I think it might be best to get changed first. Sorry to say Mustang, you and Lady G are on hot standby.

"Shit." Mustang muttered, turning the word into a sentence the way his accent stretched it out. "Alright then. I'll hit the garden and grab something for lunch." He added, doffing his hat and hanging it and his coat up by the Zeta system.

"I'll join you. Some of the vegetables aren't ready yet." She said, and why did she look straight at Godiva when she said that? Also, why did Godiva snicker? If they were an item, apparently they weren't a very discreet one. Still, it let Fujin know to avoid sniffing up that tree a while.

"So, where do I sleep? I was told I kinda live here for the time being." Fujin asked, realizing he needed to know this. Also, he needed to know something else important. "And, I need a computer to access my bank accounts, provided they weren't drained in civil forfeiture. I need more than this suit to wear."

"Speaking of, your identity." Fractal said, his costume quite literally melting and turning into regular clothing. _That_ was disconcerting. "What will you need to do the job?"

"Uh, lemme get back to you on that. I really hadn't thought about it. Kinda more interested in being a free man. Speaking of, I should mention, I didn't get paroled, I got early release, so my time's served, and I'd love to get a drink. I turned twenty-one in prison."

"I know a place or two, provided I don't get called out." Godiva said with a hungry look. Yeah, she'd do nicely. "Mustang! Can you hear me?" she yelled up the stairs after her partners.

After that, her expression went oddly blank for a few minutes, before her grin broke back out on her face. "Cool." She said with a wink.

"He's psychic." Shield Maiden said in explanation. "You'll get used to his voice in your head."

"Don't be too sure." Fujin replied. "So, what about the rest of you?"

"That's a subject to discuss over lunch I believe. Shield Maiden, if you're going to your room, would you show Fujin which rooms are available?"

"Oh, I got this." Godiva said, giving Shield Maiden a knowing look. "Follow me, I'll show you who's where in case you ever need to know."


	35. Chapter 34 (Lemon Poundcake)

April 2nd  
Pensacola, Florida  
2318 CST

"Where in the world are you putting all of that?" Will asked Maddie as she polished off the last of her sixth Long Island Iced Tea. "And how are you still coherent?" The woman had a tolerance for alcohol that bordered on legendary.

Maddie only gave a mysterious smile, her look punctuated by the music in the nightclub she'd taken him to. "A girl's got to have a few secrets. Be glad I told you my name."

"Everybody told me their names. What I'm glad about is that you wanted to come here." Will replied, his tone consistently charming. "Forgive me for this, but I really thought we were going to wind up in some kind of bass bumping twerk house."

"Oh, I love that scene, but that's not where you take a first date." Maddie said, still giving him the mysterious eyes. He couldn't deny the look was attractive on her, but it felt like she was testing him. She'd give him these looks but she'd worn a shirt with an extremely deep neckline. For the sake of safety, he'd keep his attention towards her face, while she was looking at him at least.

"So this is a first date?" He replied, taking another small sip of his bourbon.

"Hopefully." She replied, getting an almost shy look in her baby blue eyes. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, the heavy blonde highlights and pink strips blending into one another in a positively alluring manner.

"Okay, you're good. You're really good." Will said, and saw her expression harden quickly, making her look like she'd been stabbed and wasn't such a fan of it. That hurt look was replaced quickly by a distant expression, almost sad.

"Look, I can't help it, alright. This is the only way I know how to talk to people. I'm not trying to play you." She said after a moment. "This was a mistake."

"No," Will said, putting his hand on hers. "No it wasn't. What I do, er, did. It's a solitary game by necessity. I knew a girl back then, she was good too, and I watched her take somebody for everything they had, so if I'm a little suspicious, call it learning from someone else's mistake."

"You sure it was someone else's mistake?" Maddie asked, calming the negative voice in her head and refocusing on her company for the evening.

"Oh yeah. I had a feeling she was dirtier than most. I think I stuck around in that con just to see what'd happen next. It was like a bad soap opera." Will explained.

"So, what happened to her? You can't tell that story without finishing it." Maddie asked, waving the bartender off from getting her another drink.

"The guy she stole from, he was some Lieutenant in something called the League of Shadows. He came home one evening, sat her down at the dinner table, enjoyed a meal with her, and began explaining everything she'd done to him, and used that time as a stall tactic until the poison kicked in. I was the lucky stiff who had to toss her body into Kowloon bay." Will explained quietly.

Maddie glanced around the room quickly. "You stole from the League of Shadows?" she asked in a hushed tone. She wasn't exactly afraid of them, they were highly trained, sure, but she wasn't exactly susceptible to blades, arrows, poisons, or really much of anything they used. Honestly, the idea she might have to tangle with some assassins might actually make the night more interesting.

"Oh hell no. I'm pretty sure he knew I was casing the place to make a move and had me help his guys do the deed to set an example. I took off the next morning and never been to Hong Kong since." Will said. "You understand why I'm suspicious now?"

Maddie nodded. "Yeah, I do. So, I've decided this was a first date." She said after a moment's thought. "You wanna get out of here?"

"Where to next?" He asked, quaffing the last of his first drink as a free man, and setting a hundred dollar bill on the bar, feeling glad the FBI's forensic accountants fell for the smoke and mirrors he'd set up and wound up missing where he'd stashed the majority of his money.

"Two door down from Daeva's room." Maddie said with a broadening smile. "You coming?" 

* * *

In a whirlwind, Will and Maddie fell into her room in what they'd called the Hacienda, their hands moving everywhere, their lips locked and their tongues twisting and twirling around one another's. The moment the door shut behind them, her hands were on his torso, pushing up under his shirt. She was aggressive, there was no doubt about it, but it wasn't a try-hard kind of aggression. It was clear she knew what she wanted, and five years in prison meant he wanted the exact same thing.

Deciding to try a bit of counter aggression, he wrapped his arms around her, lifted her, and turned towards the bed, bringing her down and coming down with her. She made an approving noise and smiled at him for it, before flipping him over to straddle him.

"Been a while?" she asked, leaning back so he could sit up.

"Too long." He admitted. "Don't hold round one against me." He said, peeling his shirt off and tossing it onto the floor, the urgency of the moment catching him up.

"So long as there's a round two, you're forgiven." She replied, her words trailing to murmurs as his hands found her breasts. The way he grasped her, so urgent and so very appreciated, it was _exactly_ what she needed, and why she'd happily forgive a quick showing. It was good to be wanted like this, no, it was fulfilling to feel wanted, even if just for the night.

"Might be a round three if I don't pass out after the second." He said, finally pulling her shirt off and making quick work of her blue lacy bra, letting her breasts spill free before taking one of her nipples into his mouth and sucking on it greedily.

"I'll take it easy on you." Maddie said, tossing her head back and getting her hands into his hair. Already she could feel him almost totally stiff beneath her, and what she felt gave her hope. He was by no means in Liho's league, but then, there weren't many mortal men who were. It meant she could have some fun without risking injury. If the way he was treating her now was any indication, she'd be more than happy to break out her bag of tricks.

Will grasped her bottom, giving it a good squeeze. He had a weakness for a nice round butt, and he wasn't ashamed to admit it. Just getting to feel a woman again was almost magical in its own right, and he wanted to just keep touching her. The approving noises she was making, and the way she kissed and licked along his neck told him she would apparently enjoy it too.

Still in that moment of pure need, he flipped her over, putting her back on the bed, and grabbed the waistband of her denim shorts. "I love a man who knows what he wants." Maddie said with bedroom eyes, before unbuttoning her shorts and lifting her backside off the bed, letting him strip her completely.

Trying to contain himself and not just dive in like a teenager, Will slid his hands down her body, dragging his fingertips along her sides, and down to her hips. His hands were almost quivering from anticipation and need, and deep in Maddie's heart, she decided setting her sights on him was the right move. Everything about him spoke of someone who was interested in appreciating her, and she very much enjoyed feeling appreciated.

When his hand made its way to her sex, Maddie readjusted herself to give him an easier time getting to what he wanted. There was no reason to play coy, none at all. "That piercing looks really good." He commented with shaky breath as he trailed his fingertips along her.

"Thank you." Maddie replied almost primly, though her words were punctuated by a sharp intake of breath when he began massaging her sex. The boy was all over the map, but there was at least some kind of intent to his behavior. As much as he was just enjoying the feeling of an aroused woman (and she was exceptionally aroused), he was effectively casing her body, trying to learn where it worked and where it didn't.

She pulled him down next to him and locked lips again as his fingers explored her body. Every time he'd dip one within her to keep things nice and slick, she'd latch on a bit tighter, moaning softly into her mouth. When her body clenched in a surprising orgasm, she held to him for a moment and moaned softly into his ear. "Round one's looking good so far." She said in panting breath.

"Making sure you still want a round two." Will muttered, kissing and nibbling his way down her body, spending another nice visit at her painfully stiff nipples. The heat from his breath was almost soothing to her as he worked, something she very much enjoyed.

"Just keep this going." Maddie said, though when his tongue hit her stomach and caused a tickling sensation to hit her, she couldn't keep from twitching and giggling. That ended pretty quickly when he abandoned pretense and settled himself between her legs proper, diving in with a reckless abandon.

"Oh God yes." She moaned out, her hands wrapped in his short hair. She rested her legs over his shoulders as he set about his work, and while she'd had more talented lovers, he was in no way lacking. He flittered and flicked his tongue across her button, using her vertical hood piercing to his advantage.

For Will, just the taste of her was heaven. While it was easy to say he'd missed it in prison, it was still the truth. White collar minimum security meant shower rape and prison weddings weren't anywhere near as common as in higher security facilities, what with conjugal visits and all. He just never had anyone come to visit besides legal representation.

She moaned happily when he slipped a finger within her, and even more so when he added a second, giving her something to grind against. She came again quickly after this, something she appeared to have absolutely no trouble achieving, though this one was a bit stronger than the one before, causing her to shake momentarily as she rode through it. 

* * *

"Did you feel that?" Aasha asked, setting her sketch pad aside and spinning in the desk chair to glance at Deke. He was sitting on his bed with his guitar in his lap again, though he didn't have headphones in this time.

"No, I wasn't paying attention, what was it?" He drawled, glancing at his watch for the thousandth time since Kris said he was on standby.

"The place shook, and I know it isn't Liho. Bloody hell Maddie works quick. Did she even give him time to properly introduce himself before she hopped on it?" Aasha groused. She didn't begrudge Maddie for getting laid, nor was she jealous, it was more how quickly she tended to operate.

Deke shrugged and went quiet for a moment, before his eyes opened quickly and held up his pointer finger in a gesture of waiting. "Not this time Ash. She's actually happy right now." He said, in an odd way glad he'd taken a quick peek. "Not content, not satisfied. Happy."

"Are you serious?" Aasha replied, ignoring her drawing. When he nodded solemnly, all she could do was shake her head. "Well, I'm just a hateful cunt then."

"Godamn Ash, that's a bit far." Deke argued at the very coarse language she'd chosen to use to describe herself. Babs was definitely rubbing off on him. "Besides, you got it last night."

"Yes I did, and it was positively mindblowing." Aasha said distantly, before going back to her drawing. 

* * *

"Holy shit." Will muttered while lying on his back. Maddie had taken her fill of his tongue and chosen to reciprocate, bringing a few of her favorite tricks to bear. Between her lips, tongue, and hands, he had no idea where in the world he was at the moment, he was only keenly aware of the warmth of her mouth and the teasing of her tongue as she went to work on his shaft.

For her, the ability to handle him without issue was more fun than she'd realized at first, and in retrospect, she might have gone a bit too hard at the beginning. He'd begged her off, hoping to actually get all the way to actual sex before finishing, and so she'd acquiesced, slowing herself down and having some fun sussing him out.

Head still back and eyes closed, Will was relatively mindless as she set about her task. He barely noticed it as she maneuvered his legs, though he enjoyed her tongue swirling around his stones. When her tongue drifted lower though, it certainly got his attention. "Wow, that's new." He muttered when she flicked her tongue against his backside, using a free hand to stroke him.

"Glad to see which side of the fence you're on." Maddie said before returning to her self-appointed task, very much pleased that he'd washed himself so thoroughly before they'd gone out. More often than not, when she pulled that maneuver out, the reaction she got was tepid at best, but it seemed like he was enjoying it.

She spent a few more minutes at it before taking him back into her mouth, taking a nice slow approach. His shaking moans and other, less intelligible vocalizations told her that it was probably still a bit much. "You want a break, or do you want to just get the quick one over with?" Maddie asked, careful to word her question so as not to seem judgmental.

"Dunno, can't think, never had it that good." Will muttered, though all things considered he was perfectly happy with the reprieve. Despite having warned her, and despite her offer to get the easy one out of the way, he didn't want to embarrass himself.

"How about a break then?" Maddie replied, more telling than asking, before climbing back up beside him. Will was in the process of catching his breath and trying to calm himself down, but he couldn't just lay there, instead slipping his hand up her leg and back towards her sex. "I won't stop you." She added, turning herself about to put her behind against his thigh to give his hand easier access.

He had nimble fingers and a delicate touch, something she really should have expected, and in no time had her purring again, her back sliding against his side as she moved along with the beat of the proverbial drums. Though whimpering, panting breath, Maddie siganled her body letting go again, and sailed along with it.

"Would you stop making me cum?" she finally asked, though it was clear she wasn't exactly upset about it. "I'm too many ahead of you."

"Just being thorough." Will replied, rolling onto his side to kiss her on the shoulder and get his hand on her breast. He'd needed the time to cool off a little, though the moment he'd rolled over behind her he'd gotten his shaft sandwiched in her bottom, a particular favorite feeling for him.

"Trust me, you're done being thorough." Maddie said, bending her top leg and giving him perfect access to her slit. He murmured an 'Ooookay.' More as warning than anything else, and adjusted himself to enter her. He stopped at the tip and took a deep breath before sliding fully within her.

The wait broken, Maddie opened her mouth in a near silent moan, the exhale of her breath barely making a sound. She felt every inch of him acutely, sliding into her exceptionally wet entrance, and waited for her favorite part. She got it when he sank into her to his full, his hips pressing against her backside. Something about that had _always_ done it for her, but what usually happened next, didn't. "You okay back there?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.

His eyes were shut closed and he was forcing his breathing into a regular pattern. "Sorry, almost done before I started. Give me a second here."

"You're fine." Maddie said, keeping herself still. Truth be told, just feeling him within her was nice for the time being.

"So, I should have asked about this about twenty seconds ago, but, condoms?" He said, his tone of voice very telling as to how he felt about almost shirking that responsibility.

"I can't catch or carry disease, and I'm on a really good pill." Maddie said dismissively. "So, in me, on me, I'm pretty well cool with it."

She could feel him nod against the nape of her neck, and shortly thereafter, the real fun began. He slid back and then into her again, just as slow, and set his pace, an easy one to follow. He was still massaging her breast and pinching her peaks, all the while kissing on her shoulder and neck. He was a busy lover, but the attention paid off. This might not set her alight again, but the experience was still definitely worth it.

She was wrong about that though. Her body was primed and ready, and the absolutely fulfilling sensation of being so wanted worked in tandem served her well, and it wasn't long before she felt another climax building within her. Spurred on by her rising volume and frequency, Will drove into her faster, knowing he wasn't long for the moment himself. When she called out, a long, clear note, there was nothing left holding him back.

His grip tightened wonderfully on her breast as he finished, the sudden blackness claiming him in a rush. Maddie's hand moved immediately to her sex, rubbing her button vigorously in an effort to keep herself going until it was well and done for both of them.

He remained within her for a while longer before his muscles gave out, forcing him to fall onto his back whether he liked it or not. Turning herself over, Maddie brushed an errant strand of hair from her eyes and regarded her current lover. She might have to keep this one around a little while.

"So, that was a lot better than you made it to be. You sure it's been that long?" She accused, running her fingers up his abdomen.

Will nodded, still trying to recover his senses. "Yeah, it really has. I guess this means there's a round two in our future?"

"I think so. Next time though," she said, gathering a bit of what he'd left within her on her fingertip and sucking it off. "You can leave it on my face if you want. I meant it when I said I'm cool with whatever."


	36. Chapter 35

April 3rd  
Destin Florida  
0423 CST

It was close to four in the morning when Maddie came down the stairs in a deep blue satin robe, and only wearing that because she wasn't sure how Ingrid or Pacifica felt about another woman's tits. Everyone else here had already seen them so it meant nothing to her.

"Recognize Mustang E zero three." The Zeta system called out. Surprised, she turned and saw her teammate stepping off the platform, a bit unsteady on his feet.

"Where've you been?" Maddie asked, her head cocked to the side. There were scorch marks on his coat and singes on the brim of his hat, and he looked like he'd gone a few good rounds while he was at it. "You look beat to hell."

He nodded as though she'd discovered some great secret. "Heatwave, and before him, a bunch of Kobra douchebgs. I really have a problem with tactics." He grumbled. "Don't tell Babs that last part please."

When the realization of what he'd said hit her, Maddie paused. "I was on standby. Heatwave should've been mine."

"Mads, while I know what went on in your room in a very general sense of the word, I really still don't know exactly what it was, but you were actually happy." Deke said, hanging his coat and hat up with a yawn. "So no, Heatwave was never yours."

"You took a beating because I was happy?" She asked, still not really piecing the situation together. "Why?"

"Because you were happy Mads, why are we still havin' this conversation?" he asked, wandering into the kitchen. He was running on low after Kobra, but Heatwave had put him on empty.

"Mustang, you big dumbass." She said, pushing him lightly. "I see why they love you so much."

He shrugged at that, before grabbing three protein shakes from the fridge. "Ohana Mads." He said, popping the lid off the first one and downing it in one go. "You ain't had the fairest hands dealt to you lately, I sure as shit wasn't about to interrupt you. I dunno what that boy did but I'm glad he did it."

"Made me feel needed." She said in a small voice, something so unlike her that it paused him halfway into opening the second bottle. "Liho never treated me bad, don't get me wrong, but it was just convenience for us, you know?"

He nodded and finished cracking the bottle. "Yeah, I get it." He said, acknowledging her words and letting her get back to talking.

"Well, Will actually treated me like I was kind of special. I mean, I was in Queen of the Whores mode from moment one, because I thought he was cute, but he never noticed. I'll know tomorrow if he meant it or not, but for right now, I'm taking the win."

"You deserve it Mads." Deke said, taking three drinks to kill the second bottle. "If that was just a game for him, I'll handle his hand to hand training for a while."

"Don't worry about it. I'm a big girl. Speaking of all this, can I ask you something?" She requested, hoping to finally get an answer to a question that had been burning within her for a couple of years now.

"Shoot. I'm too tired to argue anyway." He drawled, realizing he'd slugged those two shakes too quickly, and he'd pay for it later.

"Why Aasha, with you two? I legitimately want to know, it's not me just being pouty about it. I'm legitimately curious." She said, following him to the living space and sitting down on her legs. (just because he'd seen it didn't meant she needed to just put it all out on display after all)

"Well, she just sorta happened to be there at just the right time I guess. She caught us in the middle of something we'd started after we thought she was asleep, we caught her catchin' us, and next thing you know, it happened." He said, trying to spare as much personal detail as possible.

"Okay, well, I've been in that position more than once, I get that, but, still, this goes on? I see how Ash looks at the both of you, and the way you both look at her." Maddie said, trying to get more detail out of her exhausted teammate.

"It's Aasha, how can you not love her?" He said with a shrug. "Gotham's still a shithole for the most part, and it's gonna be for a real long time. She's kinda the opposite of that for Babs I think, and I really need to stress that this is just what I think."

"So, me pushing it all the time?" Maddie asked, and this time she wasn't insinuating anything. This time.

"Yeah, just set her off wrong. I mean, you were basically asking to go to bed with me, and I'll be honest here, you had better options." He said distantly, sipping his last shake.

"Shut up. Give your girl more credit; she accepted your ring didn't she?" Maddie pointed out. That same serenity continued to radiate from her, a sensation all too foreign to Deke. He didn't know quite what to make of it. He did know if Fujin had played her, he really would kick the boy's ass.

"Yep."

"Or, is it your girls? My threesome experience is kind of limited to random fun times. I'm seriously curious about this." Maddie asked, verbally poking at him. She'd had enough multi-person encounters to fill an internet porn site, but that was purely physical.

"Kinda. Babs calls Aasha her girlfriend, and vice versa. They play a lot without me, or just lettin' me watch. Me and Ash on our own is still a really new thing that we're not even always sure we're cool with, y'know? I love them both though." He said, trying to avoid getting too comfortable in his seat on the couch.

"How'd Ash take you proposing? I didn't want to ask her in case it was something sore for her. I know what you mean about loving her, she really is that kinda chick." Maddie asked, finally getting details, and realizing she was finally asking the right way.

"I told her before I did it, at the League Christmas party. We stepped aside and talked about it, hell, she was almost as happy as Babs was. Before you ask that next question, yeah, we'll still have a thing going on after the wedding, she's pretty much a part of our lives till she decides she wants out." He said with a shrug and another yawn.

"Even after kids? I at least got that much out of Babs, that she wanted them and all." Maddie said, remembering she still needed to woman up and have that talk with Drew. Braeden hadn't been lying when he'd said he'd told Drew that Maddie was his mom, not his sister like he'd grown up believing.

"Yeah, probably. We're not thinkin' that far ahead Mads. Hell, we're still fine tuning the guest list for the wedding, and that's been a nightmare and a half." He said with a dejected sigh.

"You need a planner. I know one, actually." Maddie offered, and this change in her was becoming more and more profound as the moments ticked on. "Second best in the Hamptons."

"We looked, they're expensive in Gotham, I'm afraid of what they run in the Hamptons." Deke said, remembering that particular afternoon of checking out websites and being nearly sick to their stomachs at the rates.

"She's second best because she worked for _the_ best, Deke. Me. I actually had a day job for a while. Well, it was more of an internship in middle school for college applications, but we parted on good terms, I know she'd send me some advice if I needed it." Maddie said, telling more about herself in that one moment than she had over the last three years.

"I'll tell Babs, you know I won't agree to anything without her, but you might have just saved our bacon." He said, finally polishing off his last shake. "I'm going to bed, if Aasha hasn't claimed it all, but seriously, you're in a good place right now, and I'm glad you are."

"Thank you Deke." Maddie called after him, having totally forgotten what she'd come downstairs for in the first place.

"You're welcome Mads." He replied, trudging up the stairs tiredly.

April 3rd  
Gotham City  
1150 EST

Sitting in front of her laptop, crunching lines of code into yet another worthless and ridiculous count to adhere to the regulations of the assignment, was one Miss Barbara Joan Gordon. The tv was on and set to the Indie rock music station, and there was a half-eaten and completely ignored bowl of quinoa and baked fish next to her.

She looked up, ears perked, when the door opened. "Hello you!" she called out in a perfectly chipper voice, seeing her fiancée walk in the door. He couldn't help but smile at her, despite still being extremely tired from the previous night's work.

She got up and went to him, her movements liquid and smooth. "I missed you." She said, standing on the steel toes of his boots and placing a kiss on his nose. He wrapped her into a tight hug, twirling her in the air slowly while he did so, and kissed her back.

"Missed you too." He said, and held onto her a while longer. "You busy?"

"Yes and no. We were given our final project for coding and programming four oh five already, since he expected us to take a while on it, and I've been trying to knock it out while the rest of my classes aren't so slammed." She said, enjoying the warmth of his body. Gotham was starting to shake the chill, but it wasn't enough.

"So, you got a minute then?" He asked. When she nodded at him, he walked into the bedroom with her still perched on the toes of his boots. The look she gave him when she realized where they were headed was one of mild disappointment.

"I have a minute babe, not long enough to do anything worthwhile in here." She argued gently. "Which is a shame of course, because I heard what you did to that Kobra unit last night and I'd love to show you how proud I am of you."

"You're dating a psychic, you don't have to show me, and I'm too pooped to pop anyway." He replied. He wasn't looking to get her naked and into bed, just into the bed itself. "I just wanted some company while I pass back out."

"Oh, that I can do." She said pleasantly and stepped off his feet so he could get undressed. As he tossed his clothes into the hamper, she observed his body, looking for signs of lingering injury. Bart had texted her to let her know he'd tangled with Heatwave too, and word from Central City PD was that he was sitting in jail talking a good game about how much pain he'd put on the cape that had left him there.

Satisfied that there wasn't anything obviously wrong, she scooted over and let him slide into bed. "Is Aasha still down there?" she asked, wondering about their girlfriend. She'd become such a fixture in their lives that the small one bedroom apartment seemed empty without her there too.

"Yeah," he replied, yawning, before reaching up and putting an arm around her to pull her down to a laying position with him. "She's on hot standby today with Ingrid." He explained, nuzzling into her. Barbara would be lying if she said she didn't love every bit of it.

"Kris called me earlier this afternoon and warned me you'd be sleepy. Why'd you take Maddie's spot for her?" Barbara asked after a minute of getting warm and comfortable. She had to be careful not to get too comfortable, though, she still had classes.

"I wanted to talk to you about her actually. I took her gig because apparently, our new guy was what she needed in life. I didn't wanna be the interruptus to their coitus."

Barbara giggled at her boy and rolled over to look at him, careful not to press her breasts into his chest and stir up something she didn't have time to finish. "That was thoughtful of you, but why'd you want to tell me about that? Maddie's pretty fond of reminding everyone about how much coitus she's getting at any given moment."

It was Deke's turn to snicker at that. "Not that babe, dude apparently said or did something that just, I dunno, worked for her. Hell, when I got up this morning he was taking her breakfast. Anyway, when I got in this morning from Central, she was up, and we talked for a little bit. Long story short, she apparently used to intern for a wedding planner in the Hamptons, she volunteered to help plan ours, pro bono."

That was certainly unexpected. It was hard consolidating that image of Mads with how she usually thought about her. "If she's willing, I'd be happy to let her plan the second one."

"Second one?" Deke asked, confused at what Barbara was saying. "We're getting married twice?"

Barbara nodded and kissed her boy on the forehead. "Well, if you like the idea, yeah. There's a non-traditional student in my math class, and she was talking about her wedding. Apparently, she and her husband went to city hall and got the quick civil version this morning, and they're having the big one this summer. It got me thinking, since we have two lives, why not two ceremonies?"

"Little family one for the legal business and then extended and friends in the big one?" Deke asked, tracking where she was headed with it.

"Exactly. My dad and Bette, Mami and Papi, and that's it. There's a small chapel across the street from the city building just for it. I can't get married and not let my dad see me in my dress after all." Barbara replied.

"And once again, Barbara Gordon detectives the hell out of something." Deke replied, his body starting to wind back down.

"I'd hardly call it detective work, just a little problem solving. It's one more thing out of the way too." She replied. "Bruce still wouldn't show up to either unfortunately, unless everyone on our list is League by then."

"If you ask Fractal, we'll be League by next year. He's got a bug up his ass out of nowhere about it." Deke said. He understood completely how important it was for Bruce to be there for her. She'd made an off-the-cuff comment to Ash one day about having Batman give her away if her dad couldn't, which then turned into a pencil sketch of him in the costume, with a bowtie and utility cummerbund.

"It's hard to say why, but Kris is driven when he wants it. I wouldn't put it past him." Barbara said, stifling a yawn. "Sorry Cowboy, but I can't stay here any longer or I'm going to fall asleep."

"It's cool babe, thanks for this." He said, and kissed her again, more fully, but careful to keep it sweet. She giggled and kissed him back, before slipping out of the bed to return to her homework.

Before getting started back on it, she tossed her food in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it back up, and shot Maddie a text. As much as she wanted to say she was happy for her, since Deke hadn't said how confidential that information was, she kept it to accepting her offer for help and thanking her for it.

Once she pocketed her phone and collected her re-heated lunch from the microwave, Barbara sat back down to her computer, but not before casting a glance into the bedroom to see her boy sleeping peacefully. "I love you." She whispered to him, a soft smile on her face.


	37. Epilogue

April 4th  
Location Unknown  
1600 Zulu

Sawyer sat there in his white on white playroom, currently busying himself by saving the world with his Justice League action figures. It was close this time, with Superman and Batman both knocked down, it was up to the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman to help their friends, before Black Adam and his best friends could beat more people up.

He stopped playing when the door to the stark room slid open, revealing his most favorite person in the entire world. "Dawn!" he all but yelled, scrambling up to his feet, the fate of the world all but forgotten, just to give her a hug.

Young, pretty, and oh so brilliant, Dr. Dawn Vallencourt reached down and picked little Sawyer up, spinning him in a circle while she embraced him. "Sawyer, how are you?" she asked with a bright smile.

"I'm good, do you want to play heroes with me?" He asked, offering her the Wonder Woman figure.

Squatting down to his level, Dawn shook her head. "Not today Sawyer." She said, brushing his dishwater blonde hair away from his bright green eyes. "We're going on an adventure today instead."

"Do we get to leave Cadmus to do it?" He asked. They never let him play outside, and all the other kids had been taken away.

"Well, sort of. Let's get ready to go, okay?" She asked, standing back up and glancing around the stark and sterile environment that he'd grown up in.

"Okay, I have to get my stuff." He said, and grabbed an old, well-worn teddy bear. "I'm ready now."

Dawn reached her hand down to take his, but the moment his little fingers intertwined with hers, she had to stop for a moment to catch her breath. "What's wrong Dawn? You look sad. Are you sad? Do you want to hold my bear?"

"No Sawyer, you keep ahold of him for now." She said, and began walking out the door with him. When it slid open, a pair of uniformed and armed guards stood there, their carbines relaxed but still easily accessible. Refusing to acknowledge them, Dawn walked her little friend down the halls of the Cadmus lab.

"Dawn, I was thinking, and uhm, when I'm grown up, can we get married?" he asked her, looking up at her with the most sincere expression on his face. Barely seven years old, his world was far less complicated.

"We'll see Sawyer, after your adventure." She said, glancing away to wipe at her face. "What did you have for lunch today?"

"I didn't get breakfast or lunch," Sawyer said unhappily. "Doctor Garner says I wasn't allowed to eat today. I'm pretty hungry."

Dawn frowned and squeezed his hand affectionately. "It's okay Sawyer, you'll be able to eat soon, I'm sure of it." She said, turning a corner and into Lab 33.1, a location she wasn't particularly pleased to see with her own eyes, let alone bring Sawyer into.

"Is this where my adventure is?" He asked, his green eyes wide with excitement. "That looks like a rocketship!" he added, pointing to the pod in the center of the room, emblazoned with a large number eighteen.

"It _is_ a rocketship Sawyer!" Doctor Lawrence Garner said, giving Dawn a look of warning while making a grand sweeping gesture towards the pod. "That's why you couldn't eat today unfortunately. It goes super-fast, we didn't want you to throw up inside."

"Ewww." Sawyer said, wrinkling his nose. "Do we get to go now?" he asked, excitement clearly visible on his happy little face.

"Only you get to go Sawyer." Dawn said, squatting down again, and putting her hands on his shoulders. "Only enough room for one person in there."

"Oh," Sawyer said, and it was pretty clear what he thought of that. "I don't want to go without you though Dawn." He finally confessed, sniffling his tears away. "I'm scared to go without you."

"Don't be scared Sawyer, you'll be perfectly safe, I promise." Dawn said in a patient, consoling tone. She was absolutely surprised she was able to hold it together this well, and assumed it was to keep him from being so frightened. The idea of violating his trust so thoroughly made her realize that when she died, and wound up in Hell, she'd know exactly why and take her damnation without argument.

"Okay Dawn, if you say so. I love you." He said, his chin quivering, as he latched onto the only human being who ever really spent time with him. He knew she wasn't his mom, but she'd been there just the same.

"I love you too Sawyer, now get into the rocket before you miss your flight." She said, gesturing towards the pod. He didn't leave just yet, instead putting his bear into Dawn's hands. She accepted it, and clutched it to her chest as she watched him scramble his way into the pod.

When the door shut, he smiled and waved, but when the techs switched the gas on, a look of fear took over. She couldn't hear him with her ears, but she could hear her name on his lips all the same as he screamed and cried, tears streaming from his eyes as he pounded on the reinforced glass lid of the pod before slumping slowly into blackness.

Blinking her eyes hard, Dawn fought the tears away, struggling to keep herself calm. She would have pulled it off, and kept herself in order until she got to her car, but Garner had to speak up.

"You've done very well Doctor Vallencourt, your country thanks you." He said, but clearly, that was _not_ the thing to say to her.

"Doctor Garner, our business together is concluded. I will not watch you turn that sweet little boy into a weapon. Cadmus has plenty as it is." She said with an icy scowl before turning to leave the building.

"You forgot your severance package." Garner said. When she turned to look at him again, his pistol was already leveled and aimed. He pulled the trigger, but cringed when the contents of her skull splattered against the doors and her body collapsed onto the floor, still clutching the stuffed bear.

"That was more difficult than I expected it to be." He said, returning his pistol to his shoulder holster. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned to look at the boss.

"It gets easier, Doctor Garner. Much much easier." Lex Luthor said in a fatherly tone. "Now, let's see about building me a new weapon."


End file.
